A Different Type of Visitor
by enlu-tarsonis
Summary: Shakeera thought that she would explore space from Rifts Earth. Whoops, her bad, Earth of the future is surrounded by quarantine satelites. And they shoot everything on site. So no prob, just use her Transdimensional drive.
1. Chapter 1

A Different Type of Visitor Premise

So, I've seen a few types of Rifts x-overs. And most of them are pretty decent. Heck, I kind of have one of my own. But now I want to tread down a path that most fic authors only do when they wish to get shunned, or have an ego trip. In my case it's the ego thing. So I decided to make a Super Character for an insert. No this is not me, nor is it my alter ego. But rather a character that I drew up for this Ranma-verse insertion. Maybe this'll make it past chapter 1, and maybe it won't. But anyway, here's the fic. Also the thanks for this idea came from reading The Arch Mage Saga. I wanted to do something along this line for a couple of years now, so I'm finally writing it out a bit in detail.

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Chapter 01

Her name was Shakeera. At that moment in time her entire existence was just to try to stay alive while she was piloting her spacecraft through a series of lasers, particle projection cannons, Ion blasts, and a multitude of different types of missiles and drones. As to why she was in an experimental space craft playing dodge the weapons of mass destruction? Well, she really could not take the time to think about it right now.

Her four arms flew over controls and worked the navigation computer in a desperate attempt to avoid the quarantine satellites that were in orbit around the planet she was trying to escape. After another near miss a though occurred to her. _"Use the TransDimensional drive. Sure it's what got me in this mess to begin with, but at least I should be able to use it to get out quickly."_ She inverted her ship rather quickly to avoid a nasty but slow moving missile that ended up impacting upon her ship's shields as she brought up the TRD-1a's control console. She shunted her variable shields to the bottom of her ship and stayed inverted as her ship took the brunt of the next volley of particle beams to the already nearly exhausted force field. Moments later the ship's computer chirruped the ready signal for her to activate the drive.

"Okay, now to enter the moons coordinates into the computer." She said through gritted teeth. Quickly punching in the numbers she was jostled as a larger than average laser beam broke through one of the chinks in her shields. "DAMN" Shakeera cursed as she rolled the craft again and brought the nose of the craft to the direction that her computer told her she needed to so that she could engage her drive. She punched the TRD's activation button and everything slowed down for a few moments before the weapon-ridden starscape she was dancing through was replaced with the view of a giant white cratered moon through her viewscreen.

**

* * *

Scene Break**

Ranma and Genma Saotome had finally made it to the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo. They had been traveling very hard for quite a few days, but after their long journey everything seemed fine.

Before they could leap onto the poles above the springs an older pudgy man in a Chinese Maoist uniform ran down the hill towards them speaking in Mandarin. Genma turned towards the other man and barked out "I don't understand Chinese." He hollered out, then was about to turn to Ranma and challenge his son when the china man spoke again, this time in broken Japanese. "Very bad you go into cursed Springs of Jusenkyo."

"Bad? Bah." Genma said as he turned towards his son. "You ready? Prepare yourself Ranma!" He called out. With a mighty leap Genma Saotome jumped off of the embankment of one of the springs and landed lightly on the bamboo pole in the center of a nearby spring.

"Hah! You'll fall this time for sure old man." Ranma cried out while he shucked his pack beside him.

While Ranma leapt up to a pole of his own choosing, Genma felt something approaching. Not quite sure what it was, he shrugged it off and concentrated on taking his son down a few notches.

**

* * *

Scene Break **

One night earlier

A stiletto shaped craft blinked into existence on the far side of the Earth's Moon. It had a forward section that was reminiscent of a thick swords blade or the blade of a punching dagger, but with a blunted nose that some sensors and what appeared to be gattling cannon sticking out the front right side of it. Behind the end of the blade section of the craft were a pair of forward swept wings, which could easily be taken as the cross guard of a sword. On the wings were the mounts for what could only be weapons pods or missiles, but they were all empty at this time. Also on the top and bottom of the wings were turreted gun mounts that could cover the entire front, rear and side arcs of the craft with their ability to be trained around to sight in on any nearby target. Behind the wings was a boxy area with some bay doors that were currently closed, and a large dual set of thrusters that were on the back of the craft, obviously part of the powerful thrust system it used for sub light travel.

Most of the way back from the front of the craft on the topside was a transparent bubble with several empty seats underneath it. Only one seat though was occupied, by a mostly human appearing being with fiery red hair, and sharp almost elfin features. Upon closer inspection one could see that the being in question was a female of her race, and that she had four arms that were flashing over her control panels. The panel underneath her lower right arm sparked and she quickly flinched away from it and tapped some buttons on the otherside. After some obvious cursing the four armed girl stood up and walked to the back of the compartment and exited into the interior of the ship and out of view of any outside observer.

Inside the craft Shakeera was mumbling under her breath. "Stupid TransDimensional Drive. Had to choose now to completely fritz out." She pulled on the legs of an EVA suit. "Now I have no clue where or when I am." The girl then pulled on the right side and put both of her right arms through the sleeves. "Oh well, at least after I figure out how bad the underside is I should be able to land and make repairs." She quickly finished getting in her suit and put the helmet on. After which she exited the ship through the airlock.

The environmentally suited up Shakeera used her EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) thrusters to maneuver around the wing of her craft and came around to the underside of the craft. Only to see that a large scorch mark had scored the underside of her vessel for a strip longer than 25 feet. "Drek!" She called out. "Damned quarantine lasers." Inside of the scoring, underneath some of the boiled off armor, she could see the arcing of shorted out circuitry and damaged systems. After a rather bright and longer-lived arc than the rest, the entire area blanked out. "Hope that wasn't any of the drives or vital systems." She muttered to herself before she flew back into the ship.

Once she was back in she noticed that the lights though still on were now flickering. "C'mon baby, hold together." She said to herself. Shakeera quickly made her way to the control room to find the panel that had sparked on her earlier in flames. "Damned Spawn of the Abyss!" She cursed. The four-armed girl then grabbed a fire extinguisher and damped out the flames. Shutting down the power to that particular console she started a ship systems check in one of the back up consoles.

"Okay, this isn't good. I hope that planet has some form of technology." She said looking over the display. After which she started to shunt power around the damaged gear.

A few hours had passed while Shakeera was jury-rigging her ship so that she could make planet fall. While she was doing her rigging she had set a computer to scan nearby space for any types of communication, and to record it for later inspection. Mid way through her computers COM link chirped at her notifying her that it had scanned, decoded, and translated some archaic radio transmissions. Leaving the work area and moving into one of the computer bay terminals Shakeera pulled up what she saw.

"Human culture?" She said to herself. "Ok, now to see what languages they have here." She scanned several of the different languages scrolling past and then put an algorithm in her portable computer so that she could use it to translate until she could either learn a local dialect, or until she could work out a magic talisman that would have a similar effect.

After she finished the four-armed girl ran through some final checks and put on a set of shiny enameled armor that was very form fitting. As well she buckled on a thick belt and plugged some form of ammunition clips into a socket fitted in it, as well as strapped on a gun to her right hip. Once she had put on a few more odds and ends in planetary survival and combat she sat back down in the pilot/captain seat and steeled her will for the coming ordeal of planetfall.

Coming upon the outer ionosphere she shifted her freshly charged variable force field to the top of her craft and inverted so as to take the brunt of any of the damage on her undamaged side of the craft. She watched as her shields first glowed into existence, then as flames of high impact atmospheric molecules self combusted on the leading edge of her shield and flowed down the length of the projected force. Tweaking the controls slightly she slid a small fraction of the projected force to the forward arc in preparation for the thicker atmosphere yet to come.

Her craft continued to buck and shake as she descended down towards earth fall. Shakeera grit her teeth as she continued to fly inverted and sent out a lidar ping through her forward sensors to find out if there was any craft in front of her as she had detected radio emissions from the planet earlier. Which of course meant that the humans here had at least a small moderatum of technology. Unfortunately though her computer could record and decode the transmissions, she hadn't had time to watch many of them, as she was more concerned with making planet fall before any more systems went out. Luckily with all the radio traffic on the planet they were making it easy to slip in between all the chatter so that she wouldn't be picked up by any active radar sensors.

Her craft flipped over made a parabolic arc down towards the surface of the planet into the largest land mass on the planet, into a high elevation region that was devoid of any radio or technology emissions as far as her ship could discern. After that it was short work to burrow beneath the canopy of the forest near the base of some of the mountains and lock up her ship.

The four armed red haired visitor to the planet Earth set out into the night in search of something to aid her in her journey.

* * *

**Scene Break**

Elder Cologne of the Jokentetsu was overseeing the preparations of their yearly tournament, including the hanging of the challenge log when a bright streak of flame passed overhead. She was about to dismiss it when she felt an overwash of spiritual energy. The feeling was as if she had felt the awakening of a powerful force, or the arrival of a being of immense power.

"Elder Koh Lon, Elder Koh Lon" a messenger girl called out as she ran up to her.

"Yes child, what is it." She said as she looked down from the top of her staff.

"Elder Koh Lon, Elder Lo Shian asks for your assistance on the other side of the village." The messenger girl stated and stood in wait for Koh Lons reply.

"Very well, tell Elder Lo Shian that I will arrive as soon as I finish up over here." Cologne said and turned her head back to her task there by dismissing the messenger girl. Though she didn't spend long on thinking about what the other Elder needed on the other side of the village. Instead her thoughts turned inward. _"What was that I felt. Could something of import be about to happen?"_

A few moments later she felt the powerful force she had felt earlier wafting towards her. Another elder walked up besides her. "Elder Koh Lon. Do you feel it?" Elder Lotion said to her.

"Yes, whatever it is, it is focused enough to draw itself out. Perhaps it is projecting something in front of itself to feel things out." Cologne said in conjecture.

Before either of them could make any further statements something like one of the craft of the Chinese government flew fast overhead, though to quick for either to make out distinct details, one thing did stand out. That the underbelly of the craft had been damaged somehow. Immediately after the vessel had over flown the village the sense of immense power disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place. The two Elders of the Chinese Amazons looked at each other. Cologne was the first to speak. "This does not bode well."

"Indeed. Should one of us investigate?" Lotion said.

"Yes, I will lead a small lance of our warriors. Please gather them and let the rest of the Council know that I shall be missing for the tournament." Cologne then summoned one of the messenger girls running around the village. "Sparrow" She called out once she saw which one it was. "Please find Shampoo and let her know that I will not be here to sponsor her in this tournament. And then follow Elder Lotions instructions." Cologne nodded to Elder Lotion who stood next to her, and then she bound off towards her hut. _"I hope that this does not bode ill for our tribe."_

* * *

**Scene Break**

Ranma was a bit shocked at what he was seeing. Currently the youth was standing on top of a bamboo pole, over the springs of Jusenkyo. He had just knocked his father into one of the pools of cool water below them. And instead of an irate Genma popping back out, it was a very large panda bear with a set of glasses hanging off of one of its furry ears that leapt out of the pool.

While the panda seemed to be regaining its bearings, Ranma looked down at the guide and pointed at the panda that had taken the place of his father. "What the hell is that?" He hollered out.

The guide started to ramble something about springs and drowned panda's but before Ranma could process what the chubby older man was saying the panda jumped at him. He leapt away and went onto the defense but the animal's strength was a bit too much and ended up overwhelming him. Ranma was slightly dazed by the overpowered punch that sent him flying down towards another pool of water. Just as he was preparing himself to get wet, something hit him from the side disorienting him further.

* * *

**Scene Break**

A little while earlier Shakeera had made her way over to the valley as she needed to get some fresh water for her travels. Looking into the valley, she saw a pair of humans in strange canvas-like clothing. The two of them had large travel warn packs that they were setting on the ground besides them as she watched. Before anything else could happen, another human came trotting down the opposite hill from her location hollering something to the two of them. She couldn't make out the language, but it was obvious that he was warning the two others about something.

She activated the camouflage ability of her armor and crept towards the edge of the clearing before the pools with the wooden or bamboo poles sticking out of them. The four armed traveler watched as the youngest of the humans out there hit the older one he was sparring into one of the pools. Shakeera was expecting to see the older human come out of the water and angrily attack the younger one. What she didn't expect is to see a strange Ursine Monster leap out. It seemed like a deformed version of the bears that she had encountered inside the Federation of Magic, and was colored in symmetric patterns of black and white. She watched as the monster stood on one of the poles facing the youth that obviously had no clue what had happened.

Her mind made up, she shucked her helmet, which was interfering with her psi abilities and opened up herself to the world around. What she felt was immense, as if a supernatural entity was below her, and it's tendrils were pushing their way through the earth until they culminated in the pools before her. Quickly shutting down her awareness before the power could overwhelm her senses, Shakeera then started to cast a haste and flight spell so that she could come to the remaining human's aid.

After her haste spell was finished, but before she could complete the flight portion of her spell she saw the slow motion attack done by the ursine monster towards the youth and knew that she wouldn't be able to finish her other spell. Letting the arcane magic go, the four armed girl instead launched herself with powerful leaps and bounds and intercepted the black haired youth in mid trajectory to the spring of water he would have landed in.

Unfortunately for Shakeera, she had almost completed her flight spell and it had negated some of her mass once her feet left the ground. As she was rocketing towards the falling youth, her balance and trajectory was off. She managed to correct in time and grabbed him around his torso as she passed, but instead of landing on the other side of the spring the other worldly visitor watched as several of the pools of water passed underneath herself and her companion. She flipped around trying to brace for her landing, that being easy for her as time was still slower for the rest of the world thanks to her magic. But it looked like a moot point as she saw the rapidly approaching waters of one of the larger, but harder to reach pools rushing towards her.

The second her skin touched the water since she hadn't redonned her environmentally sealed helmet, she could feel her essence being ripped out of her body. Black and white flashes strobed through her vision, images of her training and of her life flashed in random sequences through her synapses. After a near eternity, as far as the four-armed girl could tell, Shakeera passed out from the incredible pain.

* * *

**Scene Break**

Cologne and the small squad of Jokentetsu warriors had just left the village to track down the power that the matriarch had felt when she felt another power similar to the first, but somehow different emerge. She also felt the pull of Jusenkyo upon her, as if the springs were gathering something big, something like a magical storm or tempest.

Something that could either be very bad or very good had just happened. And Cologne of the Jokentetsu wanted to make sure that it could either help the tribe, or be vanquished before whatever it was gained knowledge and power enough to threaten her people.

End Chapter

Authors Notes:

Well, here's the first installment of A Different Type of Visitor.

No this is not a rewrite, and no this isn't a copied piece of fiction. I'll be hosting elsewhere soon as I find a good host. I'll keep some of my basic fiction here on but as for my better works, as well as my re-write project (starting with Pluto's Son) that will be hosted with a much friendlier host. But I won't abandon just yet like some of my other authors have, as I want to continue the Ranma 1/2 genre and feel that is probably the most purused site of fiction as yet.

To all of those beginning authors out there reading this fiction. Keep writing, not all of us can be Cloud Dreamer, or One Shot Wong, nor can we all be Rippen Drakkuzz or Fire. But they started somewhere, as have I. (Maybe one day I'll have all of my stories posted, and completed. That'll be the day).

I'll try to keep my posts up, and if I get stuck on this story like I did on Weapon X Japan, I'll get another out there rather than waiting a full year in between posts like this last time.

Until then,

Enlu.


	2. Chapter 2

A Different Type of Visitor Premise

So, I've seen a few types of Rifts x-overs. And most of them are pretty decent. Heck, I kind of have one of my own. But now I want to tread down a path that most fic authors only do when they wish to get shunned, or have an ego trip. In my case it's the ego thing. So I decided to make a Super Character for an insert. No this is not me, nor is it my alter ego. But rather a character that I drew up for this Ranma-verse insertion. Maybe this'll make it past chapter 1, and maybe it won't. But anyway, here's the fic. Also the thanks for this idea came from reading The Arch Mage Saga. I wanted to do something along this line for a couple of years now, so I'm finally writing it out a bit in detail.

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Chapter 02

Genma in his new and improved form (panda) was helping the Chinese guide, who had shown up right before he had been forcibly reoriented as a species, get the two people that were in one of the center pools of Jusenkyo out of the pool of water. As the two of them were working, the guide was babbling in broken Japanese to Genma.

"You see, you panda now." He said in his blubbery speech, as he was pulling off his jacket and twisting it up into some form of crude rope. "You fall in spring."

Genma growfed at the man, still not able to completely connect the dots.

"You fall in spring honored customer. You now panda. You cursed now sir." The guide completed twisting the makeshift rope together and then pulled off his suspenders that he had on over a shirt, but under the Chinese jacket. "Now you Panda, very tragic that. You help me rescue other honored customers now sir?" The guide asked in a friendly tone as he finished clipping the suspenders to one side of the jacket rope.

The panda just stood there for a minute then nodded his head.

"Good honored customer. Grab this and stay there." The guide said handing Genma one of the suspender ends. The guide then walked the edge of the spring and stopped on one of the other shores of the larger than average pool. The elasticity of the suspenders made it so that he could stretch them out quite a ways, good thing to, as he was now 15 feet apart from the larger being. The guide looked into the pool where the two newly cursed beings were floating face down in the water. He leaned forward a bit and let his jacket dip under the arms of one of them. "You hold good now sir. I pull on rope and she will move to shore. Then we do same to other one."

After the Jusenkyo guide finished his instructions to Genma he pulled the rope slightly taught and the girl drifted towards the shore. After she was done the guide repeated the same procedure for the other red haired being that was in the cursed waters. Once the two girls were banked on the shore the guide then discarded his coat on the ground being careful to have minimal contact with the waters soaking it. He used one of the suspender straps to flip over the one that he thought was Genma's traveling companion. Luckily she was still human in appearance, and wearing the same karate gi. Once she was over and seemed to be breathing he then went over to the other red haired girl; she took a lot more doing. "This one has strange items." He commented out loud as he looked at her shiny armor, and odd technological equipment.

Genma meanwhile was a bit distraught at that moment. His son had been turned into a girl. _"What am I going to do?"_ At least as he was an animal he could survive. But with his son a girl his dreams and goals seemed to be flushing down the toilet as he sat there looking at her unconscious form. His train of thought was interrupted as the guide's next words broke through his revelry. "Why this one have four arms?"

**Scene Break**

Elder Cologne of the Jokentetsu arrived at the outskirts of Jusenkyo and spread out at her silent hand signal. She could feel the two different but similar powers moving now and she didn't want to cause either a misunderstanding or conflict if she could avoid it. The aged matriarch watched in curiosity as a large panda bear was carrying a small being in its arms cautiously. Also she could see the Jusenkyo guide carrying his own unconscious passenger in a fireman's carry over his shoulder. Though the panda appeared to be having no problems, the guide was obviously burdened.

"Hmm..." She muttered watching as things developed.

The two she watched continued their trek into the guides hut as she watched, but the Jusenkyo guides passenger dropped something. After the two she watched entered the hut, she hopped over to the fallen object. Hefting it up she looked at what could only be a weapon or gun of some sort, but it was something that she had never encountered. "Curious." She looked from the heavy object in her hands over to the hut and sent another hand signal for a few of the warriors to advance in silence to the hut. Soon they would know what had occurred.

**Scene Break**

His world seemed so slowly coalesce into being. First he could feel some air across his face, acrid like an enclosed room that hadn't been washed in a very long time. After awhile he started to have flashes of the previous few days. Of him and his father trekking across the land in search of places to train. Of different matches he had with some of the local martial artists. After that a flash of a valley filled with mists and springs came into his mind. He moaned a bit, but something about his voice sounded different. A bit too high pitched he guessed. He tries to sit up, but his balance is way off. As well there seems to be some extra weight on his chest but he can't figure out why through his addled thoughts. Once he fully sat up his chest seemed to keep trying to move him into a near slouch.

"Funny." He said, and again noted his voice seemed to be way to high pitched. He opened his eyes and brought a hand to his chest. He was expecting to see a dim room with an earth floor. He was also expecting to find a wrap or something else on his chest. What he most definitely wasn't expecting was to encounter something soft and yielding on his chest, that felt very sensitive to his questing hand. Also he was not expecting to see something very large and glowing a weird type of red in the center of its form, and almost blue towards its extremities. The being was roughly the shape of a large bear, but Ranma had never heard of any bear that glowed in a darkened room like he was in.

He was already on edge at this moment when his hand brushed past one of his nipples in his quest to figure out what had happened. A sharp tingle that started there, and traveled down to his groin area was not expected, nor was Ranma ready for it. He quickly looked down at his chest away from the glowing bear that was standing there, and saw the glowing shape of two very well formed breasts.

Now he was starting to panic.

He was about to check further down, as if to confirm or deny his greatest fear at that moment when he noticed that there was another glow in the room. Slowly panning over, he saw what he could only describe as a furnace of energy lying next to him on another cot. He was starting to hyperventilate now, and might even have calmed down enough to listen to the guide who had started to ramble something off when he had sat up. But before the youth could calm down the glowing bear placed a paw on his shoulder and barked something.

That was all that was required to push the shocked youth over the edge.

"AAAIIIYYYYIIII!"

**Scene Break**

Cologne was about to start her warriors into a slow and quiet retreat so they could view the hut from afar when an ear piercing female scream sounded from within. She didn't know what had happened, but she did know that there was at least one woman or one Jusenkyo cursed being in trouble in there.

"Go, Rescue the warriors inside." She called out to her nearest group of Amazon warriors. In response 6 of the warriors burst in through the doorway and windows of the hut.

Inside of the hut Genma panda had his paws over his ears and the guide was cringing after Ranma's scream. The guide was about to try to calm Ranma down when his windows and door burst open and 6 Amazon Warriors exploded into the room. One of them backhanded him over to the far wall, and another rushed Genma.

Genma was still a bit dazed by his son turned daughters scream and so can be excused as he was taken out by a simple shoulder body slam of one of the strange warrior women. As he was trying to recover he felt one of his paws grabbed by another of the women and his world turned topsy- for a few moments as they swung him into, and through, a nearby wall.

Ranma-chan meanwhile was trying to figure out what was going on, as her vision shifted from that weird glowing to an almost normal view. Well, normal that is except for the several oddly clad women calling out battle cries and attacking the guide and what she could now see was an ordinary panda bear. One of them came near her and sheathed a wicked looking scimitar across her back and held out a hand menacingly as far as the distraught neo-girl could figure. As such she reacted much as her father had been teaching her, take out the opponent with the least amount of force necessary. Of course she didn't count on the fact that in this body she seemed faster than normal, and her block ended up breaking the warriors arm that was reaching for her.

After feeling more than hearing the horrible dry twig sensation of someone's forearm breaking, Ranma-chan leapt backwards and attempted to get into a defensive stance. _"I have to get out of here!"_ She thought to herself. She felt something shift behind her and tried to twist around as fast as possible, once she was facing the opposite direction she saw one of the other warriors there. Still over balanced she leapt backwards at her full power to avoid her opponent. And ended knocking herself unconscious on the Bonbori of an Amazon warrior preparing to make sure that Genma was actually knocked out.

**Scene Break**

Genma had recovered enough wits to play dead the second he awoke from his unexpected wall induced nap. He stayed where he was as he could still hear a bit of commotion around him. After awhile the strange sounds that the Amazon warriors were making with their talk drifted away. Once he was sure they were gone he got up and looked around.

The hut was in shambles. Almost completely destroyed, the wall he had impacted with was one of the supporting walls of the roof and without it the roof was starting to collapse. Genma panda looked over at the Jusenkyo guide who was just starting to get up himself. A large piece of the roof support started to teeter and fall towards the guide and Genma shot across the room and batted it away before it could fall on the guide and injure the poor man further.

"Thanks honored sir." The guide said as soon as he saw whom it was that saved him. Genma walked over to the busted in doorway after that and watched as the Amazons carried his son off. "Honored sir, I try to tell you earlier. But we keep get interrupted." Genma turned around as the guide started to rummage through the rubble of his hut. He watched curiously as the guide pulled out a small propane grill and lit it. The large panda was about to try to pantomime a question out till the guide put a teakettle on. He settled down to watch and a few minutes later the guide stood up with the teakettle.

"Honored sir, Jusenkyo curses act in two ways. Cold water give you curse form. Hot water restore normal form." So saying he poured the water over Genma's head. The panda man felt a strange tingle and then noticed that he was once again human. 

"So I'm human again?" He asked hesitantly.

"Only till next cold water hit you." The guide replied.

Genma's shoulders slumped for a second, and then he perked up as he now realized that his son would be able to return to his birth form. New plans began to form in his head as he started to plan make new plans. "Guide, do you have a post card I can use?"

**Scene Break**

Cologne was looking at the two girls that they had rescued from the Guides hut. She still wasn't sure what that man cursed to be a panda was doing to the more human of the two of the girls, but if it incurred a yell like that it could not have been good. Cologne wasn't sure if either of them were in an actual cursed form yet though, as the four armed girl was wearing body armor of a sort that was most definitely made for her four armed form. 

The Elders small war party was currently in the next valley over from the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo and were utilizing a small crude camp so they could have an initial look at the two Jusenkyo victims. The human appearing one had almost caramel colored skin and red hair like the center of a blazing fire. Her ears were pointed on top, and Cologne could make out a Ki furnace in the youth stronger than any she had sensed before.

The other one was wearing a charcoal black enameled molded armor that encased everything but her head. Cologne had recovered the strange gadget that had fallen earlier, as well as a helmet that appeared to be a part of the armor. The helmet was of a strange design, it had no holes for viewing or for seeing as far as Cologne could see, and its front was nearly featureless. Looking inside using the dying rays of sunlight the Matriarch had seen several vent looking openings in the face part and what appeared to be two glass ovoids around where the eyes would be on the girl. Cologne then looked over the rest of the girl and saw that there was an empty hip holster, shaped just right to hold the gadget that had been dropped earlier. She placed it back in place and it fit snuggly in the holster. "Hmm.." She murmured as she continued her examination. Another thing she could see was the fact that this girl also had similar facial features as the other one they had. As well as the same colored hair and pointed ears. The Elder knew that there had to be a connection.

After she felt that her examination was complete Cologne ordered that a pair of stretchers would be made and the two unconscious girls would be brought to the village for care.

**Scene Break**

Her world was coming back into being again. This time though Ranma-chan paid more attention to her body. It was definitely a female's body. She could feel her breasts weighing heavily on her chest. And her skin felt much more sensitive to her than normal. As well when she swallowed her throat felt different, even when she tensed the muscles in one of her thighs she could feel the difference. It was almost to weird. Everything seemed to fit in place, even as if she belonged in this form. It felt right somehow, as if she had been born this way. But she knew that she was really a guy, and that there was no way that she could have had everything stolen from her in an instant.

After determining that she was in fact still a girl, Ranma-chan then started to pay attention to the details she could sense in the room. First she paid attention to what she was laying on; it was some sort of down or feather bed with coarse sheets. She thought on this then shifted a slight amount and discovered that she was naked but underneath a sheet. Ranma-chan then turned her senses further outward, she could tell without opening her eyes that she was again inside a small room. But this time it was clean and well kept she could tell this because the odor of an unwashed man was completely absent and in its place was what seemed like incense or even a different but pleasant scent. She could also hear the sound of wind outside whispering through some trees, and distantly she could also hear the talking of people. Closer she could hear the soft breathing of someone near to where she lay. The other person had to be either asleep or meditating.

Ranma-chan could almost feel the other person. It was similar to the sensation she got when someone was about to sneak attack her or attack her from a blind side. But she didn't get a dangerous vibe from the other person. Just a feeling of where that person was, and the general distance she was from said person. She could also tell somehow that the person was some form of kin to her. Not like a blood relation, but like they shared some similar characteristics or drive. Like a kindred soul actually.

The red haired neo-girl tuned that out, as well as everything that she was hearing from outside and concentrated on seeing if there was anyone else in the room. After a few moments with no discernable results Ranma-chan sat up and looked around again.

"Woah." She said to herself as she felt the sway of her breasts. "That'll take some getting used to." She quietly continued as she opened her eyes. She found that she was still looking around in that weird other vision that she somehow had now. Looking at herself she saw that her hands glowed, but the tips of her fingers seemed to be a different color, almost a cooler color than the center of her hands. In fact if she tensed a muscle it turned a brighter shade of red or orange, and if she relaxed her muscle it would slowly return to its previous color.

Several moments later Ranma-chan tired of looking at her forearms and hands and decided to look around. Across the room from her was that same glowing being she saw earlier. Ranma-chan stood up and slowly walked over to the other person. She was a bit unsteady on her feet, as her center of gravity was slightly off. After a bit she managed to get the hang of walking in this form and finishes making her way over to the other being. Standing over the person, Ranma-chan thought that she was seeing things so she closed her eyes and felt the form of the sleeping person.

"Nope, not seeing things." She said to herself as she traced one set of arms on the left side of the person. She noticed that the person was only wearing some form of sheet on herself, just like she had. Then as she was about to trace across the other persons torso her hand bumped into a soft mound of flesh that Ranma immediately recognized as a breast. She could feel herself blushing as she slowly backed away from the reclining four armed girl. She could even see her blush when she looked down at herself and saw that the glow of her breasts was slightly brighter than it was a few moments ago.

After everything that had happened Ranma-chan needed a bit of time to think. So she went back over to the bed that she awoke up on and sat down on it. Shortly she drew up the top sheet that had been covering her modesty and drew it up over her lap like she would in her normal form to cover up. Slowly she fell into a near meditative state.

**Scene Break**

"Elder Koh Lon. If things were as you describe them, then it would be prudent to keep an eye on your two guests." A taller than average Elder stated to Cologne.

The two of them were sitting or standing in a clearing near the village. Alongside them was an additional 7 Amazon Elders including Elder Lotion. Cologne was at one of the leading edges of the circle as befitting her position of the oldest Elder and Matriarch of her clan. "They are to the best of my knowledge Elder Bah Lehm."

Another Elder stepped forward to be heard. Elder Balm motioned for the other clan head to speak. "Elder Bah Lehm, I have not been able to discern what the four armed travelers equipment is for. It is as if they have no power, or are inert in function."

Elder Balm thought for a second before she spoke to the younger Elder. "You think that perhaps the traveler would be willing to demonstrate her possessions to us? Maybe she would at that, thanks Elder Bea Da." Elder Bead sat back down. She was one of the youngest Elders present at a young age of 80, but she was also the only one who had attended an outsider technical training facility.

Cologne had been content to listen in after giving her report to the council, but now felt it time to give her two bits. "Elder Bah Lehm, maybe it would be best if one of us was to watch over them, and perhaps even train them in some of our ways. The Soul power in the both of them at rest is enough to match many of our greatest warriors."

Elder Balm thought on Colognes words for a bit then grinned in a secretive way. "Very well Elder Koh Lon. You may watch over them, and train them. Be sure that they are both aware of your import, and their place in our society. If they prove to be worthy allies you may bring them into the tribe. But if they prove to be adversaries then you know what to do."

Cologne was secretly pleased at this. She had managed to place herself at just the right position to ensure that the two she had rescued form Jusenkyo were of most benefit to her. _"Don't throw me into the briar patch…" _The crafty Elder thought trying to remember what American story that came from.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan was still meditating on what was going on when she heard a rhythmic thumping approach. As if someone was tapping a wooden pole on the ground, but she couldn't hear the footsteps that would normally accompany such a noise. She thought about that for a minute. _"Why would someone mask their steps, but not their staff?"_

Ranma-chan stayed sitting up on the bed with the sheet over her lap to cover up her lower body. She continued to listen to the rhythmic cadence of the staff until it stopped outside the door near at the other end of the room. It opened inward and her sight returned to near normal. It could have been considered normal except that though Ranma-chan could see colors and shapes properly, she could also count the individual hairs on the head of the strange creature perched on a gnarled wooden staff.

Ranma-chan jumped backward holding her fingers in a warding symbol. "AH! Ghoul!" She hollered out.

Cologne just rolled her eyes at that and took two hops across to a bench near to where the naked red haired girl had been laying down.

Ranma-chan just watched unmindful of her nudity as what she took for a ghoul was gathering something up from a nearby counter that she could now make out, as she was no longer seeing everything in odd colors. The newly made girl slowly lowered her hands from their warding positions and waited to see what the creature on the staff did.

Cologne watched as her guest calm down a bit. After which she then tossed the small red haired girl a bundle of clothes that she had gathered up from a small counter next to the entryway to the room. The Elder watched as the red haired girl grabbed the clothes expertly out of the air, as if she was long practiced at grabbing objects or cloth out of the air as it was thrown at her. The girl shuffled through the clothes and dressed in only the tight fitting pants and the top, but left the underwear beside. _"Interesting, not her real form? Is she actually a man?"_ Cologne thought to herself as she analyzed the girl's actions.

The Amazon Matriarch waited until the girl was fully dressed before she spoke in Mandarin. "Hello young one. Do you know where you are?" She asked in a calm and reassuring tone.

To which the girl just looked at her blankly. Then the girl spoke in Japanese. "What are you?" Cologne was tempted to whack her on the head except that the girl had no insult in her tone, merely curiosity.

Since the girl didn't seem to understand Chinese, Cologne decided to respond in Japanese since she was well versed in the language. "I am Koh Lon, an Elder of the Jokentetsu. What is your name child?"

The girl paused a moment as if in contemplation, after a moment she answered. "I'm Ranma Saotome." She said. Then looked down at herself and added. "I think, I'm not to sure anymore."

Cologne laughed as her suspicions were confirmed. "You are indeed Ranma Saotome, that is if that is your name. As for your body, you are a victim of Jusenkyo."

"What do ya mean... Victim." Ranma-chan asked.

"I mean, that is not your true form. That is a form bestowed on the victims of Jusenkyo once they are baptized in its magical waters."

"You mean that anyone who gets splashed turns into a girl?" She asked naively.

Of course Cologne didn't resist the urge to hit her on the head this time.

"Ow! What'ja do that for ya ol' ghoul?" Ranma-chan asked rubbing the top of her head where Colognes staff impacted.

"For being impertinent." Cologne said from her perch on top of her staff. Ranma-chan blinked a second as she tried to figure out how Cologne managed to hit her on the head with the staff that she was balanced on top of. While the neo-girl was processing this Cologne continued. "As I was saying, that those who encounter the waters of Jusenkyo gain the body of that which last drowned in the pool of water."

Ranma-chan looked down at herself sadly after hearing that. "So I'm stuck like this." She said forlornly.

Cologne thwacked her on the head again. "No. That is your 'Cursed' form. Your regular form can be regained by the application of hot water."

"You mean that once I get some hot water, I'll never be a girl again?" Ranma-chan asked with hope in her eyes.

"I'm afraid not young one. You'll regain your birth form, until you are doused with cold water." Cologne said and watched as the girls hopes seemed to be dashed. "But you can regain your regular form once more with hot water."

"So... if hit with cold water I'll turn into this." Ranma-chan said as she waived at herself. "And with hot water I'll be a guy." She thought for a second. "That ain't so bad then." Ranma-chan looked up at Cologne then. "You got any hot water then?"

Cologne smiled a bit at the young ones resolve. "Not right now, but I may in a little while. Until then, I would like it if you told me what you can about your companion." Cologne said with a waive of one arm indicating the other red head who was still asleep.

**Scene Break**

Genma Saotome had tracked the small group of Amazons to their village, and watched from a distance as they had taken Ranma and the other girl into one of the huts. Genma had managed all of this from the outskirts of the village, and even managed to avoid several of the village's patrols. He had left the Jusenkyo guide back at the springs, as he knew that he could travel better and much more unobserved without the guide to hamper him.

After the Amazons took Ranma into the hut, several of them left and finally the oldest one of them took off hopping on her staff to the North part of town. Genma knew he was stealthy, but since it was still early morning when the Amazons had returned to the village, and not much time had passed, the old thief knew that he couldn't rescue his son at that time. So growfing a bit under his breath the aging martial artist left to head back to Jusenkyo and ask the guide for advise and aid with the Amazons.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan had waited patiently for Cologne to return after they had briefly discussed his unknown companion. Ranma-chan had no clue whom, or even where the four armed girl came from.

The neo-girl was starting to get a little impatient when Cologne finally hopped into the room with a metal kettle with some steam coming out of the pouring nozzle. "That hot enough?" She asked hopefully. Cologne nodded and poured the water over Ranma-chan's head.

The now black haired boy sighed for a moment then squinted his eyes in pain. Cologne could see what the problem was; he had been dressed in a form fitting silk outfit befitting of one of the Jokentetsu warriors. And that it was now several sizes to small, fine for his torso it just constricted his breathing there. But horrid for his legs and crotch area. Acting quickly Cologne used her staff to knock a small cup of water across the room to expertly douse Ranma-kun with water reactivating his curse.

Ranma-chan sighed with relief again as the pain from the sudden clothes shrinking dissipated. "What happened?" She asked of Cologne.

"I forgot to ask you how big your normal form was." The Elder replied.

"Why would you need to know that?" Ranma-chan asked.

Cologne answered in a voice that stated that it should have been completely obvious to the neo-girl. "Because, your clothes that you are wearing right now are form fitting. And your birth form is bigger than your cursed form."

"Oh, well where're my clothes then?" She asked.

"Being cleaned, they were… how shall I say… filthy, and smelled of 5 day old sweat." Cologne said.

Ranma-chan looked a bit abashed at that, as she knew that her father never let her do much besides travel and martial arts. And as her old man didn't see much point in washing something that was about to get dirty again anyway that they wouldn't do much washing until it was drastically needed.

"But what about my returning to normal?" She asked.

Cologne didn't answer verbally but her pointed gaze at Ranma-chan's pants got the message across to the neo-girl anyway.

"Do ya know who she is?" Ranma-chan asked looking at the other girl in the room.

"No idea youngling. But I would like to find something out."

"What's that?" Ranma-chan asked curious.

Cologne didn't answer but poured some more of the hot water from the kettle over the resting form of the other red haired girl. Nothing happened other than the fact that she got wet. "As I thought."

Ranma-chan looked from the sleeping four armed girl over to Cologne. "What? Something wrong with her?"

"When we got to the valley, both you and your companion here were unconscious and being carried into the Jusenkyo guides hut by a Panda and the Guide. Both of you were also obviously wet, and a wet person in the Valley of Jusenkyo usually means a cursed victim. So we assumed that you both had been cursed." She pulled back the sheet to show one side of the unconscious girl's body. Ranma-chan blushed at seeing the exposed breast because of Colognes actions. "She appears similar to you, but has four arms. So we thought that either her curse had been mixed with another, or that somehow four arms was natural to her."

Ranma-chan just sat there confused.

"Never mind, we'll just wait for her to wake up. In the meantime what are we going to do with you?" The Matriarch stated as she turned her gaze towards Ranma-chan.

**Scene Break**

A couple of days later Genma and the Jusenkyo guide return to the village that Genma had seen the Amazons bring Ranma to. Since Genma didn't speak a lick of Chinese he requested the guide to ask where his son was.

The guide left Genma on the outskirts of the Village and traveled inside the small town. The guide returns and tells Genma that they didn't know of any boy brought here in the last few days. Genma frowned at this and thought for a minute. After he was through thinking he asked the guide to take him to the next Amazon town as the Guide had mentioned that there were several.

As they were leaving Cologne watched them from her vantagepoint on top of one of the taller trees on the outskirts of the village.

**End of Chapter**

A/N

None yet.


	3. Chapter 3

A Different Type of Visitor Premise

So, I've seen a few types of Rifts x-overs. And most of them are pretty decent. Heck, I kind of have one of my own. But now I want to tread down a path that most fic authors only do when they wish to get shunned, or have an ego trip. In my case it's the ego thing. So I decided to make a Super Character for an insert. No this is not me, nor is it my alter ego. But rather a character that I drew up for this Ranma-verse insertion. Maybe this'll make it past chapter 1, and maybe it won't. But anyway, here's the fic. Also the thanks for this idea came from reading The Arch Mage Saga. I wanted to do something along this line for a couple of years now, so I'm finally writing it out a bit in detail.

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Chapter 03

Soun Tendo sat in the living room of the Tendo residence. In his hands was the daily newspaper, and behind him was Kasumi arriving with the daily mail.

"Father, I have today's mail." Kasumi dutifully said to her father.

"Thanks Kasumi-chan. Please set it on the table." Soun said while continuing to read his newspaper. After a few more minutes Soun put the paper down on the table on the other side of the mail. "Ah, now to see what dire bills need handling." He said to himself with a chuckle. After sorting through the stack for a bit he came across a postcard of a Panda eating bamboo. Interested in what a postcard to himself could contain the Tendo Patriarch flipped it over and read the text to himself.

Soun old buddy,

I know that I've been gone for awhile, but Ranma and I have been delayed further in China. Make sure that everyone is ready for my arrival with my son.

Genma

Mr. Tendo reread the postcard several times before a tear came to his eyes. "After all this time, finally our dreams will come true." He stood up and went to find his daughters.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan ducked under a staff that came at her from the side. Moving from her seemingly off balance stance the red haired girl flowed around the staff that was still where her shoulder would have been if she had not moved in the first place. The Amazon on the other end of the staff slowly started to withdraw her weapon as Ranma-chan moved backwards in a burst of speed.

Ranma-chan had just barely gotten out of range of the staff blow when a mace barely missed the space she had traveled through in her backpedaling. The red head then jumped to the side with a light spring and blocked a different staff that was aimed at her side. Letting the staff slide along her forearm bracer Ranma-chan moved towards the Amazon warrior wielding that staff and leapt over the girl in a forward flip. The petite girl then handsprung off the ground on the other side of the staff wielding Amazon but miscalculated the strength of the push on the ground and ended up lodged in a nearby tree top.

"Damn" Ranma-chan cursed to herself. "Stupid curse. Why'd it have to mess up my coordination so much." Indeed her reflexes and coordination were completely off. Not only did Ranma find that in her cursed form she had different balance, and of course different proportions. But somehow everything seemed slightly different and even things that used to be simple tasks now required complete concentration as her old muscle memory added up to absolutely nothing anymore.

"Can't jump correctly, can't flip without hitting something." What made it the worst though was the fact that she could no longer control the strength of her blows. She had always held something in reserve when she went into an attack. And even though she thought that she was holding back the same amount she found that objects reacted badly to her cursed form.

Ranma-chan righted herself in the tree only to accidentally crush the branch she held onto as if it was paper mache. "Ack!" The girl hollered out as she fell to the ground.

While she lay on her back thinking on what had happened the three Amazon Warriors she had been sparring with walked up to her and one of them giggled. "Outsider no so skilled as she make herself to be."

Ranma-chan just growled hearing the Amazons broken Japanese. The Amazon girl continued saying something in the local dialect and the other two of them tittered a bit. Then she looked back at Ranma-chan and offered a hand down to the girl. "You no so bad though. But you need watch strength when trying fancy move." The girl said to Ranma-chan who resisted the urge to say something along the lines of 'No Duh.'

**Scene Break**

The Amazon Elder Cologne was watching over the sleeping four armed girl. It had been almost a week since the two red heads had come to the village. Cologne had also heard from one of the other Elders that the Jusenkyo Guide and some old man had come looking around for a boy a few days earlier. The aged woman snickered at that as she knew exactly who they were looking for. But with the exception of the village Elders no one knew about Ranma's curse. Everyone thought that Ranma-chan and her strange companion were naturally women. Also under Colognes protection so that many of the outsider laws didn't concern them currently.

Cologne turned her attention to the sleeping red head again. "I wonder who you are." She said in Mandarin. "You look similar to Ranma, but you are not cursed." She looked closer at the girl. "Or at least cursed by Jusenkyo." This girl puzzled Cologne. She had been asleep for the last several days since they had found her and Ranma-chan. But in that time she had only slept and seemed to require no refreshment or food to sustain herself. Cologne had seen people in a coma before and they always after the first few days started to waste away if not given some form of sustenance. But not this girl, instead she seemed to only be down for a quick nap or something related.

To pass the time Cologne went into another room in her hut so as to look over the strange gear that the girl had. Though she had grown up in the remote village, Cologne was no stranger to technology. But what she saw baffled her, it even baffled the few college trained Amazons who had looked at it. The Elder knew that somehow this girl had come from the craft that flew over the village over a week ago, but she couldn't see how she or any of her equipment could have come from anywhere near China.

**Scene Break**

Shampoo watched as one of her unblooded sisters offered a hand up to the outsider girl. She had overheard the earlier comments and felt that her sisters were greatly underestimating the capability of this new warrior. 

One of the reasons that Shampoo had not had contact with the girl yet is that she was an outsider. Shampoo didn't like to deal with the world outside the Amazon nation. She felt that it should be perfectly fine if she never saw or heard from anyone outside the tribes. All she needed to do was to think about the Musk and the local Chinese government to know what all outsiders were like.

Even if this one girl acted different.

But Shampoo could see past the girls attempt to seem more clumsy and incompetent than she really was. There was no way that this girl could be defeated by some of the lower ranked warriors of the Jokentetsu. More to the point, there was no way that a girl with as much strength could have gained it unless she trained relentlessly. Shampoo knew for a fact that if the girl would stop pretending that she could match some of the highest ranked warriors in the tribe. _"She must be trying to steal our techniques"_ The girl thought to herself with a tinge of jealousy.

**Scene Break**

Genma Saotome was on the edge of a stony mountain pass. He looked back into the valleys that he had left behind. In the last week he had managed to contact most of the tribes, but none of them had heard about his son. The Guide wasn't much help either. After some talking the Guide mentioned that the only place left was the Musk, but those lands were nearly deserted right now. Genma didn't know how tuff it would be to travel through some lands named after a scent type, but decided that it would be the best way to try to track down his son anyway. At the very least he'd be able to make sure that Ranma wasn't there.

Genma was also thanking himself that he had managed to send out a letter at the beginning of his travel to find Ranma. _"Soun should be receiving that letter soon. I hope that he's prepared to have us there when we arrive."_ The middle aged martial artist thought to himself.

He entered a small canyon pass with steep walls of rock on both sides. Looking about for a possible ambush Genma decided to be a bit more cautious this time. "At least I'm not a Panda right now" He muttered to himself under his breath.

Several moments later the slightly portly martial artist rounded a corner in the canyon passage and stopped as two men were standing in front of him, looking perhaps as startled to see him as he was to see them.

**Scene Break**

Cologne was just returning to the room that held the unconscious four-armed girl when she heard something talking in an unknown language. Cologne silenced her staff with a minor infusion of Ki at the tip so as to deaden the noise in order that whoever it was that was talking in the other room would not hear her.

The Elder then heard a sentence in that strange language that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "Either that's a string of curses that'll make a sailor blush, or a spell of some sort." She muttered to herself. She then decided that it would be best to find out who it was, perhaps their guest had finally awoken.

So thinking Cologne hopped into the room only to see the four-armed girl sitting up. Her upper right hand on top of her head tassling her hair, and her lower two arms bracing herself as she sat upright.

The girl had apparently heard the door open, as she turned around on the bed to look directly at Cologne. Of course her ear-piercing scream wasn't quite what Cologne imagined would happen.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan was just saying good bye to one of the Amazon girls that she was sparring with. "Dang, I've really got to retrain myself." She said as she flexed her muscles in one of her arms. They appeared to be smaller and much weaker than the muscles on her male form. But she knew that somehow her cursed form was stronger and faster than her birth form. Even worse she could only be in her uncursed form rarely as the village thought that she was a girl.

"At least Cologne explained their marriage laws and challenge customs to me." Ranma-chan mused to herself as she continued to walk. Just after she had woken up, but before Cologne had allowed her to leave the room, the Elder had explained a few things that Ranma-chan needed to keep in mind to keep out of trouble with the Jokentetsu.

The red head actually didn't have too much trouble with it except for being forced to remain female for awhile. But she was also curious about her companion that the Amazons had found with her. Ranma-chan didn't remember ever seeing the four armed girl before in her life, and felt a little guilty that she may be cursed or something related like she was. That maybe the neo-girl might be responsible for the unknown girl's unconscious state.

Ranma-chan's introspection was brought to a literal screeching halt as she heard a loud yell that silenced even the local insects and birds. The young martial artist jetted from where she was over towards the sound. It had just barely stopped, but before it did the red haired girl managed to discern that it was coming from Colognes guest room that she shared with the comatose four armed girl.

Ranma-chan could see the low leveled hut now as she rounded a bend in the village. She saw that the window over her bed was still open so she leapt inside it to the open area of the floor. She quickly tucked and rolled to come up into a fighting stance. Surveying the room quickly Ranma-chan only saw Cologne staring bewildered at the four armed girl who was sitting up and had all four of her arms wrapped around her torso so as to cover up her ample bosom. The neo-girl came out of her fighting stance and stood in a relaxed pose and waited a moment to see what was going on.

**Scene Break**

Shakeera was slowly regaining consciousness. She didn't remember going to sleep, in fact the last thing she remembered was trying to rescue that black haired human. She sat up and found that she wasn't wearing any clothes. Though she'd often run around her ship in the buff, or not wear too much in her home in Dweomer, the four-armed girl knew that she'd not removed her armor from herself.

She stretched out her awareness so as to see if her attuned weaponry was nearby. "Good" She said to herself once she had felt that it was only a few meters from her location. Once that was confirmed she decided to take stock of her situation. She looked around the room she found herself in. It was barren, and she saw no evidence of technology anywhere. In fact the only light source that she could discern, besides the slight sunbeam of a early evening sunlight, was a oil lamp on a hand carved wooden desk at the other end of the room.

Shakeera stretched her muscles and let out a string of curses in Dragonese, which was her native language. The reason for her cursing was that she had just discovered how slack her muscles were. As if she had been out for several days.

While she was rubbing her head with one of her hands the door opened into the room. Shakeera was expecting perhaps a human or at least something on the same type of scale. What she was most definitely not expecting was something that looked like a cross between a gargoylite and a gnome.

"EEEEEEK!" Shakeera screamed in startlement. As she finished up her shriek, and calmed down a bit from being startled the four-armed girl covered her breasts from its view. "What do you want?" She then calmly asked the strange creature balanced on a wooden cane in front of her. The creature looked at her in a curious tone and spoke out a string of words that Shakeera couldn't even place the dialect of. She decided to switch from Dragonese to Galactic Standard to see if that was understood. "I don't understand." she said.

Before Shakeera or the being in front of her could say anything more someone flew through the window and tucked and rolled upright into a loose fighting stance. Shakeera could immediately tell that this new being was very powerful, and experienced in hand to hand fighting. Then the four-armed visitor finally got a full view of what had just came through the open window. 

The red haired girl looked just like her with only two arms instead of four.

**Chapter End**

Authors Notes.

Shorter than normal I guess. I'll try to get the next chapter done soon. It should be longer. And it also should answer some of the questions that I'm sure some of my readers have.


	4. Chapter 4

A Different Type of Visitor

Well, I'm finally onto Chapter 04. Guess I'll make it to Chapter 5 as well. This one looks a bit longer than the prior ones. I hope that everyone enjoys it.

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Chapter 04

Ranma-chan stepped down from her attack stance and looked over at her four-armed companion. Now that the girl was awake Ranma-chan could tell that though her appearance was similar to hers, her musculature and mannerisms were different. Not to mention that she had a second set of arms directly underneath her normal arms. Currently all four arms were covering up the girls bust as she looked at Ranma-chan and Cologne.

Several moments passed like this until the four-armed girl lowered her two lower arms and gathered up the sheet and used it to cover herself up. She folded her lower arms over her breasts with the sheet tucked into them so as to allow her free reign with her upper arms. The girl then walked over to stand in front of Ranma-chan who was getting very nervous at the nearly naked girl's close proximity. 

Once the two were only an arms length away the four armed girl said something in a melodious but obscure language that seemed to flow off the tongue and away from memory as soon as the words were spoken. Cologne's eyes grew several sizes upon hearing the arcane language and waited for her guest to finish. The girl then waived her arm around waist level while moving her fingers around in a complex pattern that ended with a quick sweeping upward of her hand to touch two of her fingers to her lips as she finished the last sentence of her spell.

Ranma-chan was still stunned, as she had been able to feel the flow and weave of an unknown power coursing through the room. As soon as the girl in front of her stopped she returned to some sense of focused thought. The neo-girl was about to ask what had happened when her four armed companion spoke in flawless Japanese.

"Who are you, and why do you wear my face."

**Scene Break**

Genma Saotome was being put on the ropes by his two opponents. At first he had sneered at the thought that these two might be able to take him on. But after the first hit from the larger of the two that was wearing the Tiger pelt he decided that it was time to stop underestimating his opponents. _"That hit had hurt."_ The portly martial artist thought to himself.

The Wolf pelt kid had disappeared early on and Genma was paying to much attention to the Tiger pelt right now to wonder where the other one was. That is until he got a pebble to the head. His distraction at the stinging sensation was enough to open his defenses to the larger youth to get a punch in. Tiger pelt hit Genma in the stomach a second time and said something in Chinese that Genma missed.

The Dark Horse of the Saotome clan nearly folded over the large fist sticking into his stomach, but he used his skill to fly backwards at the same time and rebound off of the wall to hit the unruly youth in the shoulder as he passed in the air. Genma was about to mentally praise himself when something heavy impacted in his back.

"OOF!" Genma gasped as the wind was driven from his lungs. The weight lightened from his back immediately as what ever it was rebounded off of him. Genma righted himself and got to his feet to look at the two youths. _"They're strong and fast. I won't be able to beat them at this rate."_ He thought to himself, then blanched as the wolf pelted kid pulled out a pair of throwing daggers and the tiger pelted larger youth pulled out a very large club.

"_That's it, I need something more powerful. Damn, I was hoping to keep those sealed away longer."_ Genma thought to himself as he readied himself by releasing his mental locks on the Umisenken. _"The Umisenken should be enough. I don't want to kill them, just disable them."_

Tiger pelt and Wolf pelt were saying something in Chinese as the Portly intruder got into a strange stance on the balls of his feet with his back slumped and his head hunched over looking like a human impersonation of a vulture. The strange and bedraggled martial artist then pulled a small sheet from inside his pack and waived it in front of himself disappearing from view. "Wha…" the two youths said in unison in Chinese.

**Scene Break**

"Who are you, and why do you wear my face." The four armed red haired girl wearing only a bed sheet asked.

The three people in the room just stood there after her question. Each for their own reasons. For Ranma-chan, she didn't understand. Even though they looked the same, Cologne had assured her earlier that week that you turn into whatever you would have looked like if you were born with your cursed body. For the Amazon Elder, it was because she had actually missed that the two girls looked very similar, to the point of being nearly identical. She had been more interested and observant of the now awake four-armed girl's additional arms, and her curious technology and equipment and hadn't bothered looking in detail at her facial features.

For Shakeera? She was waiting for Ranma-chan's answer.

The tableau was broken when Shakeera started to tap her foot. Ranma-chan finally noticed this and put her hand up to the base of her ponytail and rubbed her head while looking down and away. "Um.. I'm Ranma Saotome. And uh, well…" She started lamely.

Cologne could have slapped her forehead at this but felt it would be improper for an Amazon Elder to do so. Instead she spoke up herself. "The reason she looks similar to you, is that you both fell into a cursed spring at Jusenkyo."

Shakeera looks at the two of them dumbly. She was familiar with the different types of curse magic, and also familiar with metamorphs. And even though she was getting a better look at Ranma-chan, enough to see that the girl was slightly different in appearance (Especially since she only had two arms not four), Shakeera noted that the other girl had pointed ears and Emerald eyes. Just like herself. And the shade of red was a near ringer for her own shorter crimson locks.

"I mean, why does she look so much like me. Not about a curse. Curses don't work that way." She said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

Cologne just sighed. "Child, do you remember a valley filled with small springs of water with bamboo poles sticking out of them?"

Shakeera thought back to when she tried to rescue the human boy she had encountered. "Yes, and then I fell into one of them with a human I was trying to save from demonic possession."

Ranma-chan blanched after that. She hadn't seen her father in his human form after he had fallen into the spring, and although she now knew that she could be turned back into her birth form, she didn't know if her father could. To make matters worse she knew that her cursed form was strong, very strong. And different, enough that without intense training she was liable to kill herself by dodging wrong and ending up with a broken neck or something related.

Cologne saw the neo-girl pale a bit and guessed what she was thinking. "No, those pools do not invoke possession. They curse. Or a blessing depending on how you look at it." Shakeera just looked at her for a second before Cologne continued. "Ranma here was fighting his father at the pools and you had somehow fallen in the same spring as him. But somehow you don't seem to be affected by the cursed waters."

The four-armed girl took a little bit of an offense at that. "Not affected? Those blasted waters HURT!" She said getting a bit inflamed. She also put all four arms downward with her hands in fists in a classic pose of feminine outrage.

"Ack!" Ranma-chan said as she averted her eyes once she had been flashed by Shakeera when the four-armed girl's sheet had fallen off.

That was enough to calm Shakeera down a bit as she retrieved the sheet. Then she looked at the girl who had her eyes covered and was apologizing for seeing her. "You're not really a girl are you?" Shakeera asked, her question sounding more of a statement of fact than an inquiry.

"I'm a Guy." Ranma bit out as she dropped her arms to her side.

"Not right now you are not young one." Cologne said looking at the two of them and wondering if they did somehow merge at least some of their personalities.

Shakeera thought on that for a minute before she made the connection herself. "You're the guy I was trying to save."

Ranma-chan bristled suddenly as she jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You mean that YOU'RE the one who knocked me into the spring?" She yelled / asked.

The four-armed girl let go of the sheet again as she bristled as well. "Hey, I thought you were going to become some form of Ursine Demon if you fell into the water you were heading for!" She continued as she took a step forward. "I didn't even get my flight spell complete when I jumped to rescue you." Ranma-chan backed up slightly as Shakeera took another step forward. "And now I've been out for who knows how long after trying to save you."

Before Shakeera could take another step or could say anything further Cologne spoke up. "You know Ranma, you could have landed in an animal curse spring. Since she knocked you into one of the pools rather than the one you were heading for you now turn into a girl rather than say a cat?" To which Ranma-chan shuddered.

"Sorry uh… What's your name anyway?" Ranma-chan asked.

Shakeera looked at them and then giggled a bit which caused Ranma-chan to notice that the four-armed girl was naked again. As Ranma-chan was quickly averting her eyes once again, Shakeera answered. "I am Shakeera Sonee' lately of the city of Dweomer, apprentice Temporal Wizard, and a Psi-Warrior studying the Arts of Offense. I am at your service." She finished with a courtly bow while keeping the sheet held to herself.

Ranma-chan just stared but Cologne narrowed her eyes slightly. She had felt the power emanating off of both Shakeera and Ranma-chan, but she didn't think it possible for this young girl to be either advanced enough or skilled enough to hold the two titles that she gave herself, apprentice not withstanding. "A Temporal Wizard? Is that a type of Chrono Mage young one?" Cologne asked Shakeera.

The nearly naked girl thought for a second then answered. "I guess you could call it that. But my old master would be slightly put off by your insinuation."

"Really?" Ranma-chan asked trying to stay in the conversation.

"Yep, a Chrono Mage just throws time magic at people. A Temporal Wizard actually affects the boundaries of time and space." Shakeera said as if by rote.

"So, you have the spell power to affect the Universe around you?" Cologne asked as she tried to pry more information out of Shakeera.

"Naw, only to a degree. You see, I'm only an apprentice. I have a couple of years yet to go to finish."

"So how're ya going to finish then?" Ranma-chan asked.

"Probably not going to be able to unless I get my ship fixed." Shakeera said a little down heartened.

Ranma-chan heard her tone and started to feel something of a heel for being insensitive. Then looks at her, really looks at her and her body language. And notices that she has the posture and bearing of a very confident person, but seems like a fish out of water here.

Shakeera perks up after the brief moment of silence at the end of her last statement. "So, Ranma is it? What is your normal form?"

Cologne raises an eyebrow at this. "We haven't told you how the curses work. How did you determine that this is not Ranma's permanent form?"

"Simple, I believe that I've been recovering for a week, right?" Cologne nods after Shakeera's question. "Since Ranma's still saying she's a guy, then you haven't forced her to accept her new form as permanent. Therefore there's probably a way to change back." Shakeera sat down on the bed while still holding the sheet to herself. "Could I see it please? I'd like to see the face of the man I tried to save."

Ranma-chan looks over at Cologne with a questioning look. The Amazon Elder nods her head. "Go ahead student. It should be safe for you to turn back into your normal form. Xian Pu is not due back for a bit." Ranma-chan bounced into another room under the kind but stern gaze of Cologne.

Once Ranma-chan was out of earshot Shakeera muttered something in her arcane spell casting language and then spoke in the local Mandarin dialect that the Amazons used. "Elder, you know more of what is going on than you have told Ranma. Could you tell me at a later time as I wish to see if he may be a good traveling companion."

Cologne chuckled under her breath. "I was wondering why your spell seemed to be for Japanese." She cocked her head to the side as if listening to something. "Ranma is busy readying some hot water." She looked back at Shakeera with a serious expression. "Something happened at the Springs of Sorrow, you had tackled Ranma apparently. But you should have gained a human like form. I'm guessing now that since you had a partially completed spell about your person that it interacted with the chaotic magic of the Pools of Sorrow. And it tried to drain your life force and melded a bit of it into the waters that Ranma had been doused with."

Shakeera was about to ask her to continue when Ranma-chan entered the room carrying a metal teakettle that was steaming a bit. The four-armed girl chanted her arcane language under her breath switching her spell back to Japanese just in time to understand what Ranma-chan was saying.

"K, sorry I took so long. Had to change my pants."

Shakeera raised her eyebrow at hearing that; maybe she had gotten her spell slightly wrong.

Ranma-chan continued as she poured some water into an earthenware mug she brought in with her. "Last time I changed back while wearing Amazon pants I almost passed out."

Cologne was sitting on her staff chuckling recalling the second time Ranma had changed back into his normal form in the village. He had forgotten about the Chinese Pantsuit that she was wearing. And Silk is notorious for not having much give, especially when it was finely woven like the artisans of the village were wont to make.

For Shakeera, her mental question was answered when Ranma-chan poured the water over her head. The buxom red haired girl grew several inches in height, and though her breasts smoothed out, her chest broadened and her torso thickened. Her hair changed from crimson to jet-black. The first thing that Shakeera noticed though was that his ears stayed pointed, and his eyes stayed their brilliant emerald green. She figured that those shouldn't be that way but held her tongue. Unfortunately, though the hair and the basic build were the same, Shakeera couldn't tell if it was the same person she had saved. But she was more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Before any of them could return to their conversation the door to the hut opened. Ranma stood up and squared his shoulders unconsciously as he stepped in front of Shakeera as if to hide her nudity. Shakeera saw a human girl about Ranma's age enter the room, she had a slightly haughty air about her and lovely hair of a pastel violet. The four armed visitor couldn't make out what she was saying so she switched her spell back to the old woman's dialect just in time to hear Ranma speak in badly accented Mandarin.

"This one bow no ones to Xian Pu." He said with some fire in his eye.

Cologne acted as if this was a normal occurrence and hopped backwards on her staff so as to give Ranma and Shampoo a little more room in case things went to blows.

Shampoo meanwhile didn't like the way that the male in front of her was acting, and decided that she needed to teach him once again his place in the village. "Then I will teach you your place disrespectful male." She stated coldly as she drew a Bonbori out from behind her.

Ranma got into a ready stance and prepared for her first barrage. He'd been having some pretty bad run ins with Colognes heir, especially seeing that the Elder had been spending more time with him in his cursed form than she had been with Shampoo since he had been cursed.

Shampoo lead in with a Bonbori thrust, Ranma evaded it smoothly but wasn't ready for her to step beside him and body check him back towards the door. He leapt backwards out into the street as he'd already had to help repair one building his fighting had damaged. Shampoo grinned in anticipation of the fight and sprung out after her quarry. Shakeera was about to follow and help Ranma out when Cologne stopped her with the staff that the Elder was always with. "This is not your fight youngling. Let Ranma and Xian Pu deal out their aggressions. It has been building for the last week."

**Scene Break**

Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty snorted to himself as he looked down the old table at the slightly injured but overall well middle aged man. _"What a disgusting individual. But still he was able to defeat my two vassals."_ The prince thought to himself. He had long since tuned out the pudgy martial artist's story of woe about the kidnapping of his son by the wicked Amazons. _"Well, I never really liked the Amazons anyway. It's too bad that the Musk didn't exactly prosper very well after the last war we had with them."_

Herb thought back to when he was young. It was the end of the conflict between the Amazon Nations and the Musk Dynasty. They had been beaten badly, mostly due to the fact that the vast majority of the Musk warriors were unwilling to strike a woman that had bared herself to them. _"A weakness that I must overcome if we are to ever regain our numbers."_ He looked over at the larger of his two vassals. _"Ha, Vassals! Some Kingdome I rule over. My father gone to whom knows where. Our warriors beaten or fled. Our wives missing. All that's left are a few of our lore masters and myself and these two incompetent idiots."_ The only reason that Herb hadn't gotten rid of Mint and Lime years ago was because they were good in a fight.

But this portly middle aged man that Herb would never had picked at being able to fight his way out of a farm house had made a mockery of his two best warriors. Granted Herb could make a mockery of them as well, but he needed at least a little back up. No matter how poor it was.

"Very Well Genma Saotome of Japan. I will aid you in your journey to reclaim your son from his imprisonment by those of the Amazon Nation." Herb said as soon as he realized that Genma had shut up and was watching him instead of telling his tale of sorrow.

"But first we need to make a stop at Jusenkyo."

**Scene Break**

Shakeera was chuckling to herself at Ranma-chan's bad mood. It was a couple of days after Shampoo and Ranma-kun had fought. And the four armed girl thought back to the bewildered expression on Ranma-kun's face as she stood over his prone form. He had been beaten by Shampoo, only barely but still a loss was a loss. Afterwards Cologne had come up and splashed him with cold water and asked them to talk.

"Ranma, Shakeera. I believe that you two were not doused in the spring of drowned girl. In fact I believe that it was another spring entirely, but that your magic." She had looked at Shakeera at this point. "Melded with Jusenkyo and altered the cursed water somehow. You weren't exactly cursed, and Ranma's curse is different than it should have been."

At the present time Shakeera was wearing her armor minus the helmet and had her power pack and its linked gun on her hip. She was not wearing her survival pack but was using one of Colognes instead. Her flame red hair was held back by a headband as it was still to short to pull into a ponytail or to braid. Ranma-chan was grumpily walking next to her going over past events in her mind. Cologne was ahead of them bouncing along on her staff. And unfortunately for all of them, and the reason for Ranma-chan's grumpiness, Shampoo was also with the group.

Ever since the Amazon warrior had defeated Ranma in his male form she had been near insufferable. Shampoo had been bragging about no man ever being good enough to beat her, even though she still didn't know that she had defeated the other red haired girl in their group. What made it truly annoying for Ranma-chan was the fact that Cologne had taken it upon herself to tell the neo-girl about their laws concerning marriage. And that although Ranma-chan was protected from the kiss of death as she was right now under the hospices of Cologne, she was not protected from the kiss of marriage. As such Ranma-chan felt that she would never to recover her tarnished record (only tarnished in her own mind of course) was to defeat the arrogant violet haired girl. Otherwise she might find herself wed to the little spitfire.

Shakeera was pulled from her introspection as she felt Cologne falls back a little to come even with her. "I was wondering youngling. What nation builds your equipment." She asked looking pointedly at the large bored side arm that was almost as big as her thigh.

Shakeera pulled it out of its holster and held it up for Cologne to inspect. "This is a Northern Gun heavy plasma ejector. It's made by Northern Gun Arms, they're located somewhere north of the Coalition States."

"I did already gather that the Chinese did not make it. But what type of gun is it? The bore looks much to large for a girl of your frame to withstand the shock of a solid shell recoil." Indeed, the bore in the gun's barrel was a good two centimeters in diameter.

"Oh, it doesn't shoot solid slugs. It shoots super heated plasma. Like what is found in a star's ionosphere. Very potent and destructive." Shakeera answered with a sense of pride that she had managed to accrue such a weapon.

"I would be interested in seeing a quick demonstration." Cologne said as she wondered what type of power such a weapon could achieve. Cologne was starting to over come some of her tribe's reluctance to pursue and utilize modern technology. And she was also aware that one day a sufficiently armed force could wipe them out of existence. As such the Amazon Elder was driven to learn more about this shortcoming of her tribes.

Shakeera looked around for a few moments and then spotted a large boulder a couple of hundred feet away in the path they were taking. "See that boulder?" She said as she pointed with her lower right arm. At Colognes nod Shakeera pulled the weapon up to a firing position and sighted in on the center of the boulder to make sure that she didn't accidentally start a fire with the destructive energies of her weapon.

"Not any more." She said as she pulled the trigger on the Plasma Ejector. A super heated ball of nearly blinding light shot out of the bore of the side arm and shot forth at a rate a little slower than a bullet but with the apparent momentum of a freight train. When the ball of plasma hit the boulder instead of exploding, which was what Cologne expected, it melted the boulder and caused anything near the impact point to flash fire for but a second.

Cologne looked at the devastation as the once large boulder was reduced to a pile of slowly cooling molten rock.

"Warn someone before you decide to melt the landscape." Ranma-chan yelled from her position in a tree where she had jumped to the second that Shakeera had fired off her shot.

Shakeera looked over at the inverted neo-girl. "Sorry." She said as she re-holstered the weapon.

Cologne merely looked on, her mind more than made up by this demonstration that her tribe needed to learn much more of the outside world if they were creating hand held weapons of this nature. Then Cologne thought of something else that had been bothering her. "I've carried some of your weaponry. It is rather heavy, not as heavy as I would have though. But how hard is it to lug around a 10 kilogram (A/N 22 pounds) gun into battle?"

Shakeera just smirked. Though she had been awake for a couple of days now, she had spent a great portion of that time in meditation to regain her stamina and internal strength. As such no one had really guessed how strong she really was. So to answer Colognes question she walked over to a nearby larger rock that was about the size of her head and picked up with one hand. Shakeera held it up so that Cologne could see and squeezed it until the rock shattered into dust.

The Elder watched as the rock dust fell through the fingers of the four armed girl in front of her and whistled as she saw that it was a nearly effortless display of strength on Shakeera's part.

The two of them were about to continue their conversation when Ranma-chan, who had climbed down from the tree, spoke up. "Hey you guys, are we stopping for the day?" The red head asked while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

**Scene Break**

"So what are we doing with the monkey again Herb?" The brutish youth asked as he held a larger monkey that they had captured earlier that day. Even with his ponderous strength Lime (Mint?) was having trouble restraining the simian.

"I told you before. It's to be able to deal with the Amazons." Herb said, the tone of his voice stating for everyone in the area how many times he had told his underling.

"So how will a monkey help us with the Amazons." Asked underling number two.

Genma watched them argue for a bit before shaking his head and tuning them out once again. After all he didn't know how a monkey, a ladle and Jusenkyo would help them battle the Amazons keeping his son hidden from him. But if Herb said that he needed it, then who was Genma to argue. Especially since the Prince of the Musk put on such a fine spread of food the night earlier.

**Scene Break**

They had finished their trek from the village, and would be turning the bend any moment to see the springs of Jusenkyo. Ranma-chan's mood was a bit lighter now as in the last day Shampoo had lightened up a bit. Also Shakeera had been talking to her a bit about the way that Magic works. The neo-girl thought that if either her or Shakeera could master the right spell that somehow she could get rid of the curse. Unfortunately for her though, Shakeera didn't seem to have any inclination towards helping her regain her male form permanently.

Presently Shakeera and Ranma-chan were talking about the curses while Cologne and Shampoo were doing some sort of speed training by bounding through the tree tops at top speed in a circle around the two on the ground.

"Well, I still think it was a cheep shot that allowed her to win." Ranma-chan pouted as she talked about her loss to Shampoo a couple of days ago.

Shakeera looked at her companion. "I don't think so."

"Why do ya say that Shakeera?" Ranma-chan asked.

"Have you taken a good look at your male form lately Ranma?" Shakeera answered her companion's question with another question.

"Not really. Ever since we got ta the village, I've spent most'a my time in this form." Ranma-chan said with a waive towards her body. "And any time I've changed back I've been attacked by one of their warriors."

"Well, I've already noticed that your ears are still pointed in your male form."

Ranma-chan looked at her then reached up and felt her ears. She stopped as she got to the part on top that should continue to round, but found that it kept rising a bit beyond normal and ended in a point. Then feeling downward she found that she didn't have the hanging lobe on the bottom that she was familiar with.

"Don't tell me that you've not even noticed that."

Ranma-chan just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's not like I check out every detail of my body every day ya know." She answered.

"You know, you're really dense. Next thing I'll find out is that you've been seeing in infravision or low light vision and not told anyone about it."

"You mean that weird glowing coming from people when it's too dark to see normally? Ranma-chan asked.

Shakeera looked at him in disbelief. "Let me guess, you thought that it was normal for girls." Ranma-chan nodded her head. "You're dense you know that Ranma."

Ranma-chan had just started to pout at her comment when she heard a scream of outrage coming from the valley on the other side of the pass they were heading through.

Cologne dropped from one of the nearby trees and landed in front of them. "Come on students. It sounds like Jusenkyo has claimed another victim. Let's go see if we can help them." The Elder put actions to her words and bounded off at a running pace. Ranma-chan started to jog, as did Shakeera. They were joined moments later by Shampoo who leaped from a different tree and landed running at their pace.

They were almost to the valley when a monkey squawking at the tops of its lungs came bounding around the corner carrying a serving ladle made of what looked like bronze. The four of them stopped and watched as the monkey bounded through their group and continued on with its run.

The four of them turned to continue on into Jusenkyo, as the monkey wasn't acting like a person cursed to turn into a monkey. Before they could start running again though, a pink and purple haired girl wearing ill fitting armor and a cape that was much to long literally flew up the path screaming bloody murder and various curses in the local dialect that Ranma-chan and Shakeera missed. Ranma-chan because she was still learning Chinese and Shakeera because her spell was right now only translating Japanese.

Shortly on the flying girls tail were two youths. A large one wearing a tiger pelts with a giant club strapped to his back. And a short lithe one wearing a wolf pelt and had a brace of throwing daggers across his chest. The two of them were also yelling something in Chinese.

Cologne though saw the girl and didn't bother running anymore. After seeing the dynamic duo chasing then she just stopped. In fact she just sat there on her staff and started chuckling until she falls off her staff and then rolls on the ground laughing in near hysterics.

Ranma-chan, Shakeera, and Shampoo just sit there watching the ancient Elder wear herself out laughing. Once Cologne calms down enough to breathe she looks up from the ground at the curious youths. Through eyes teary with laughter she watches them.

"So, what was all that about?" Shakeera asked the mirth ridden Elder.

Cologne answered in a very shaky voice. "That girl… Ha! That was Prince. . he he . . Herb of the Musk." She broke out in a fresh peal of laughter. Everyone waited for a minute for her to calm down again. "I guess I should call her princess from now on." She continued.

Ranma-chan just looks at her with a dead pan expression.

"Well, its incredibly funny." Cologne says in a put upon tone. Then she switches to Chinese and tells what she had told Ranma-chan and Shakeera.

Shampoo then starts to laugh and says to her two other companions. "She right. Is too too funny about princess."

The group then continues on their way to Jusenkyo, the entire time Cologne was muttering about chauvinistic idiotic people getting their just deserts.

**Scene Break**

A little while earlier Herb was standing on the edge of a certain pool at Jusenkyo. Behind him are Lime and Mint, as well as Genma. Lime was carrying the agitated monkey still, and was still having trouble with it.

"Give me the Monkey." Herb said as he held one of his hands backward towards his henchmen.

"You sure you don't want to use both hands Prince Herb?" Lime asked as he had trouble with the monkey.

Herb just kept looking at the water. "Yes, now give me the monkey you numbskull." He said in agitation.

Genma just watched on, as he didn't understand the Chinese that they were speaking. He knew that they all knew Japanese, but sometimes they didn't speak in his native language and just used theirs.

Lime held the monkey in reach of Herb and waited for his prince to grab the annoying creature. Herb did and held the creature by the scruff. Just as he was leading up for a throw the monkey latched onto his belt with its feet and proceeded to try to take everything off of him. Herb finally looked down at the obnoxious creature and with an air of disdain used both hands to physically remove the monkey from his person and hurled it over the water.

He thought that everything would go good, until he noticed that the monkey had a hold of the ladle that was tied to his belt. Then they all watched as the monkey grabbed onto the pole in the middle of the spring. The creature chittered at them and then screamed a monkey scream as it used the ladle to splash water at the group.

Herb being the closest of course got a full dousing of the liquid and just stared down at herself as she could feel the differences in her body. Lime and Mint managed to jump backwards before the water hit them. And Genma was standing to far away to be hit anyway.

Genma looked at the spring that they were at, then looked further in to where his son had been dunked. "I didn't know they had several springs of drowned girl." He said to himself under his breath.

That of course was the only thing necessary for the terrible duo to be sparked into action as they ran up and started to pester and bug their once prince and now princess.

"STOP!" Herb-chan yelled after she came back to herself. She looked at the two imbeciles then looked back at the monkey, only to discover that it had disappeared from the pole it was on. She looked around frantically until Genma pointed up the path leading into Jusenkyo.

Herb-chan took to the air at tremendous speed flying after the monkey. Lime and Mint saw her go and ran after their leader.

Genma meanwhile slunk into the forest at the edge of Jusenkyo intent on following from a distance. After all, with Herb pissed of like this, she's liable to do anything. So with great courage, and might of soul Genma Saotome followed while hiding in the Umisenken so as not to arouse the angered dragon princess.

**Scene Break**

The Jusenkyo guide looked over at his guests that sat in his freshly repaired hut. He recognized the two red haired girls instantly, but did not recognize the two amazons that traveled with them. As he knew that the two red haired girls spoke Japanese and not mandarin he kept the conversation in Japanese for them.

"No honored customer. You no fall in spring of drowned girl. If you wait for just few minutes then I look up spring you fall in." The guide then leaned back and took a sip of his tea.

Shampoo was still unable to follow the conversation, as she was not very fluent in Japanese yet. Her Great Grandmother was trying to remedy that situation, but the Amazon girl was proving resistant to her attempts, as she felt no need to know such a barbarian language.

Shakeera though on this and decided to wait. Besides the green tea blend that the guide had made for them was really good. Ranma-chan, meanwhile, was a bit more interested in what the guide had to say, and she was nervous around the hot water, as she didn't want to have to deal with Shampoo more than she had to.

At last the guide and Cologne finished their tea and the guide got up and went over to a scroll filing case on one of the walls. "Let's see… Jusenkyo maps, where you at Jusenkyo map." He muttered to himself as he read off the writing labeling each of the rolled up scrolls in their niches in the shelf. "Ah here you are." He exclaimed as he came upon the map he wanted.

The guide unrolled the map on a table near where they were sipping the tea. Ranma-chan looked over it and saw a birds eye view drawing of the springs that looked similar to what she thought they'd look like.

"My family made these maps over many year of watching the cursed springs. Every time someone touched by Jusenkyo we record it and update our scrolls." He pulled out a book and opened it up to one of the last pages and read some of the entries to himself.

"That no right."

"What's not right ol' man." Ranma-chan said with a little bit of disrespect in her voice. Shakeera slapped her on the back of the head. "Sorry." Ranma-chan said. "I mean. What is not right honored guide."

"That's much better student." Cologne said to Ranma-chan.

The guide merely chuckled at their antics. "I say that no right, because that can no be right. According to book and map, you fall into spring of drowned dragon." Ranma-chan looked down at herself worriedly at this proclamation. "It say that it the spring that Musk Dynasty create to start their blood line. They drowned giant dragon in spring and then curse greatest king to become dragon. Then they take the offspring and dunk in spring of drowned girl to turn into girl." Then the guide looked at Ranma-chan again. "You human girl, you no Dragon girl. So what happen?" The guide asked the neo-girl.

Shakeera spoke up at that time. "I think that my magical nature interfered with the pools magic." She said.

"But you no turn into dragon either." The guide said. "How you not normal girl, how you magical if you not dragon."

Shakeera just held up all four arms and looked at him with a slight amount of exasperation. "You thought that the spring did this to me?" She asked as she looked at her lower set of arms. Then she lowered them, as she didn't want to be to intimidating to the room.

"So why would you not board up such a dangerous spring." Cologne asked even though she suspected she knew the answer.

"Because since Musk use spring to start Royal line, no one since fall in spring. And if person going to fall in that spring, person must get through entire group of Jusenkyo springs. Many many likely hood of being cursed before they get near spring. So why board up? If person meant to get curse of dragon. Then person would get curse of dragon, and no wood planks be able to stop." The guide said as he explained the reasons why his family wouldn't cover up the more dangerous springs.

Cologne just sat there for a moment. "I need to meditate on this for a moment."

Shakeera sat there with her two other companions before looking at the tea making supplies. "So anyone for some more tea?" She asked.

**End Chapter**

Authors Notes.


	5. Chapter 5

A Different Type of Visitor

Well, I'm finally onto Chapter 04. Guess I'll make it to Chapter 5 as well. This one looks a bit longer than the prior ones. I hope that everyone enjoys it.

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Chapter 05

Ranma-chan looked at her opponent. She was dressed in a violet silk fighting pantsuit with no sleeves and buttoned up the side. The print on the top was of slightly darker violet blossoms with the flower petals flying off towards the opening in the shirt. The pants continued the motif until they stopped at mid calf. The only difference in this outfit and many others in the village was the fact that it was tailored to allow for a second set of arms set below where a normal persons arms would be.

"So where did you learn that style?" Ranma-chan asked of her four-armed opponent.

"From my parents." Shakeera answered while using an outward parry with her lower left arm. "They had to modify a form of Karate for their bodies." She then jumped up and used both lower arms to halt Ranma-chans snap kick. Shakeera used her upward momentum and upper two arms placed on Ranma-chans shoulders to flip over her opponent. She landed on the other side and quickly turned around only to catch a mule kick in the gut. She grunted out some air and backed up a second to regain her breath.

"So your parents are like you?" Ranma-chan asked as she let her foe catch her breath.

"Yes." Shakeera said wheezily. "Four arms and all."

"So, how did that happen?"

"Not really sure, all I know" She started then jumped forward into a leap kick directed at Ranma-chans shoulder. "is that my race" Ranma-chan ducked her kick but she tagged the other red head on the head and the shoulder with her left arms as she passed. "is a hybrid between Rahu-man and Elf." She finished as she landed.

"What's a Rahu-man?" Ranma-chan asked and continued their spar.

"Well, they look like me." Shakeera started to answer as she blocked Ranma-chans attacks. "Except that they stand three times my height."

"That's tall. So how come you're so short?" The red head asked insensitively.

Shakeera blushed a little bit in embarrassment. "I'm not actually. This is the average height for a woman of my tribe. I said we're crossed with elves." She said as she pulled back some of her own flame colored locks to show her ear. "I guess you have some of my traits as well now." She said and pointed to Ranma-chans own pointed ears.

Ranma-chan dropped out of her stance then to feel her left ear. She seemed lost in thought for a minute then looked back up at Shakeera. "So what else can I expect? I already see in that weird light."

Shakeera thought on that for a second then grinned. "I might be able to train you to do something like this then." She said still smirking as she held out her upper right hand and flexed her hand a little. Ranma-chan was about to ask what she was doing when a small glow formed below the down turned palm then started to elongate on one side. The shape slowly formed and flowed until Shakeera was holding what appeared to be a long sword made out of pure light. "This is a Psi-Sword. It is a manifestation of The Arts of Offense of a Psi-Warrior."

Ranma-chan watched in awe as she felt the pure inner strength of her companion manifested in a physical form.

The two of them were interrupted by Cologne then before they could discuss anything further. "I'd advise you against using those powers in the village student." The Elder said seemingly appearing beside them. "Come with me, I think I can tell both of you a bit more of what happened." Cologne then pogoed off towards her hut.

Ranma-chan shrugged and turned to follow as Shakeera released her Psi-Sword back into herself and walked after her friend.

**Scene Break**

The inside of the Elders hut was slightly dusty with small motes of the material floating in the sunbeam coming in from the open window shades. The dirt floor was freshly packed and had been hardened into an almost stone like feel. Her wooden furniture glowed with fresh oil, and her woven mats were freshly cleaned. Ranma-chan looked into the room with a sense of pride as she was one of the main reasons for it. A week ago Cologne had challenged her with it saying that even a lazy American could turn daily chores around a run down household into intense martial arts training.

Ranma-chan was brought out of her reverie by Cologne. "I believe that you're spell combined with Jusenkyo's magic." She said while looking at Shakeera. "And that coupled with your own magical nature caused the pools to shift into something else than they were intended for."

"So wha'cha saying?" Ranma-chan said as she slipped back into her bad grammar in her confusion.

Shakeera hit her on the back of the head lightly. "Grammar Ranma, grammar."

"Sorry" The red head said apologetically. "So what are you saying Elder?" She corrected herself to both Colognes nod of approval and Shakeera's grin.

"That you have gained some of her genetic traits. And some of her inborn abilities, like her infravision."

Ranma-chan looked blankly at Cologne for a second the looked over at Shakeera and then at her second set of arms. "You mean that I could grow an extra set of arms?" She asked.

Cologne chuckled at Ranma-chans expression. "No, I don't think so student. You would probably already have them then. But you probably have an innate talent for magic and your Ki and Chi abilities have probably been increased exponentially." Cologne then hopped over to the wooden counter and stood on it as she started to prepare some tea. "Shakeera, I would recommend teaching young Ranma about the ways of your warrior art and the magic that you posses. As if left unchecked Ranma may be a danger to herself."

Shakeera nodded her head. "I was thinking of that anyways Elder. I've wanted a student of my own for a long time now." She telekinetically pulls Colognes staff from its place resting on the table and holds it in a commanding posture. "Student! Back Strait! Legs Together! Look Forward!" She barked in a commanding voice much to the amusement of Cologne and the chagrin of Ranma-chan who just groaned and slapped her palm over her face.

"As much fun as this is, please give me back my staff youngling." Cologne said. Shakeera complied and gave the staff a light telekinetic push back towards the table she had retrieved it from.

"Also I believe that is why you were comatose for almost a week." Cologne said as she continued her earlier line of conversation. "You were recovering your core energies at that time."

"So, what am I now?" Ranma-chan asked hesitantly. "I mean, I'm obviously not human anymore, not even in my male form. What do I do?" She said sounding very uncertain of herself and her path in life.

"I don't know student, but I would hazard to guess that you are now part of the race that Shakeera belongs to as well as part dragon."

"Part Dragon?" Shakeera asks. "Then why don't I sense him?" She continues.

"What do you mean 'Sense'?" Cologne asked as she poured some tea into the cups she had finished laying out.

"Sense, it was part of my training as a Psi-Warrior. To sense the Supernatural. Dragons have a very particular feel to them. I can't tell what type of dragon they are, but I can tell from their power level and feel that they are something draconic." She explained.

"I might be because the spring of drowned dragon is of a different dragon than you are used to sensing." Cologne continued.

"So I'm part Dragon, part Rahu-man, and part Elf now?" Ranma-chan asked curiously.

"Elf? My goodness where'd you come up with that part?" Cologne asked with a raised eyebrow as she sipped her tea.

Shakeera grabbed her own cup and took a sip. "Me, my race is a hybrid between Rahu-men and Elf." She said matter of factly. "We're weaker and much smaller than regular Rahu-men, but we're more adept at magic and live longer."

"My goodness, how did that come about?" Cologne asked.

"Not in the way you're imagining it I think." The four-armed girl said. "Good tea by the way." She stated as she took another sip before expounding on her earlier statement. "Some time ago, bout the time of my great grandparents I guess, a race of scientists took it upon themselves to try to create a race of beings to aid them in their works. So they took the genetic coding of the giant Rahu-Man and combined it with the coding of a captured Asgardian Elf. What they came up with is the race that I come from. There are only a couple hundred of us right now, and since we propagate as slowly as elves we're probably going to remain small in number for many years to come. We don't believe that we can cross breed with any other races. We haven't even tried with Rahu-men yet, and nothing has come about with elves from any dimension."

"Why hasn't anyone tried with a Rahu-Man?" Ranma-chan asked naively.

Shakeera laughed at this a placed down her cup as she went over to her pack and pulled out a small rectangular object about 20 centimeters by 15 centimeters. She touched a couple buttons on the top and muttered something to herself before touching a couple more buttons. A small picture came to life above the box, it looked like a male version of Shakeera and was very finely detailed looking almost life like. "This is an adult Rahu-man, not actual size of course." She pressed a couple more buttons. "This is a picture of me, at the correct scale by the way." She said as a much smaller figure appeared next to the Rahu-man. The figure didn't even come up past the larger beings mid thigh. "As you can see, our two races can't exactly procreate normally, it'd either be kind of painful or more than mildly insulting."

Ranma-chan completely missed her jibe at Shakeera's interspeciel capabilities, but Cologne didn't. She just sat there on the table groaning at the bad joke with her face in one of her palms. However Ranma-chan did finally pick up on something of this conversation. "So that's why my guy side has been changed as well?" She said.

Cologne nods her head and starts to put her tea supplies away.

"I'm part dragon, part Rahu-man, and part elf in both forms?" She said. "Dang, now I know why I lost so badly to Shampoo."

"And why is that student?" Cologne asked.

"Because my skills are all out of whack there too. My reflexes are skewed, my reaction times all messed up. And my strength and flexibility are completely different than before." She said as if in a lucid moment of thought. She then grabbed the last cup of tea and dashed out of the house. "See ya, I've gotta see something for myself."

**Scene Break**

Later that evening Shakeera was typing in her hand held computer looking over some of the ship schematics that she had downloaded before leaving it in search of information on this planet. After a few moments of looking at the technical documents she stood up and ruffled her hair with her upper right hand. "Arggh! I'll never get things fixed at this rate." She grumbled as she stretched out her entire body. "I need to find a city, there's no way I can get any replacement tech out here."

Shakeera got up and walked out of the hut in search of Cologne. After a bit of wandering she came upon the strange sight of a man with long black hair and white robes talking to a bush next to Shampoo. Shampoo also appeared to be very annoyed with him for some reason. Shakeera just shrugged her shoulders and continued on her search for the Elder.

After almost a half hour of walking she found Cologne coming back into the village out of the forest behind the village and set up into the mountains. Shakeera jumped up into a tree and rebounded off of the branch to land near the Elder.

"Can I help you Shakeera?" Cologne said as she pogoed into the village with a small bundle of what appeared to be roots.

"Yes, I need to know where the nearest large city is."

Cologne raises her eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

"I need to get my ship fixed."

"And why would you be so far inland away from your ship? Hong Kong is a great harbor and has lots of black market technology that you may need. So why are you in the mountains?"

"For my starship." Shakeera said in an exasperated tone. "You didn't think I was from this planet did you?" She asked Cologne.

"Heaven forbid. I just wanted to make sure that was how you got here." Cologne answered. "I saw you fly over the village a couple of weeks ago. It was quite a light show. But please don't let the other villagers know about your powers or about your ship."

Shakeera had already agreed to the above request but nodded her head in agreement anyway.

"Are you planning on leaving soon?" Cologne asked of her transient guest.

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet. This is a very nice retreat from the politics of Dweomer and the responsibilities to my Master." She said.

Cologne blinked a bit at what Shakeera had said. "You have a Master?"

"Yes, he's a kindly Temporal Raider that sponsored me into Dweomer and is training me in the arts of the Temporal Wizard. I don't really know that much yet, but I know enough to get by."

"If he's a Raider, how can he be kindly?" Cologne asked.

"Oh, that's what his race is called. I don't know their actual name as they are very cautious about it. But he's an abhorration according to his race." Shakeera saw Colognes confused expression so she continued. "He likes other races and likes to teach them without corrupting them. Most Temporal Raiders are kind of miscreant or diabolic in their world view."

Cologne just looked at her for a few minutes as if trying to decide whether or not her four-armed visitor was joking. "Well, why don't you wait here a while. I've got some things to teach young Ranma before he leaves and I think that you two should travel together for a bit. Besides you can have a lot of fun teaching him new tricks." The old Elder said with a trace of mirth in her voice.

**Scene Break**

The crewman of the ship looked towards the strange sight that had been present the last few days on their transit between China and Japan. Of course the sight that he was watching was not really aware that it was being watched.

"So what's going on with the Panda now?" Another crewman asked coming up alongside the first crewman.

"Dunno. Probably seasick again."

"Didn't one of our passengers say it was trained?"

"I guess so. But whoever heard of a Panda being trained to walk around on its hind legs. Besides, it's kind of courteous."

"How so?"

"Well, how many animals have we transported that try to get to the edge of the boat before hurling out their lunch?"

"You got me there."

Of course the Panda in question wasn't just seasick, something that it wasn't used to in the least, it was also Genma Saotome and he was on a mission to help out his benefactor. Who was currently locked in his cursed form, that of a willowy and slight pink and purple haired girl. Course if anyone was to call her a girl she would have her wrath on them. Case in point, Genma currently in his cursed form. He had made the mistake of telling her to quit complaining about being a girl, in return she splashed him with some water from her ladle. And thus he was stuck with the group until Herb-chan could find the open water kettle she mentioned. After all, being a panda part of the time might have been alright. Being a panda full time was really getting on his nerves.

Also Herb-chan promised that after they had found the kettle that she would return them to their original forms, and beyond that she would aid Genma however needed in securing him his son.

But until then, "BARF" one seasick panda needed to deal with the realities that Panda bears weren't meant to travel on the open ocean on a fishing trawler.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-kun was enjoying his short time as a male again. In front of him was his friend Shakeera. After Cologne had figured out a bit more about the cursed springs effect on Shakeera and himself they had returned to the village. As well, Ranma now knew a bit more about the Amazon customs and was very intent on not tripping over any of them by accident.

As for Shakeera, she was happy being in a non-combat zone for the first time in her life. The stockade run she had attempted a few weeks ago seemed to be the best failure that she had ever encountered. Since she had no idea how to return to her home dimension, or even her prior dimension that she had made a home in for a few years, Shakeera decided to enjoy this one for a bit before moving on. Of course she had no intention of sitting idle the whole time. She had a ship to fix, and what appeared to be a new apprentice to teach in the ways of the Psi-Warrior, and maybe even the basics of Temporal Magic. Though, even with Ranma's steep learning curve he had many years to go before he'd be able to do everything she could.

Currently the two of them were sparring as Ranma needed to learn more about both of his forms. That was one of the reasons he was male right now, even with the threat of one of the unwed Amazon warriors making a play at him. He needed to risk it, because before his transformation into what ever he was now he should've been able to take on Shampoo the prior week with no problems. It was only because of his lack of control over his strength and speed that she had won. As such he made sure to spend at least one hour a day sparring with the only 'safe' person he knew that he could spar with. Of course the 'safe' person was also as strong, and as fast as him. And had lived her whole life with her strength and speed, so of course even though she wasn't as skilled as him she still could win in a fight. Besides she had four arms, how the hell do you attack someone with four arms that's just as fast as you are.

Luckily for Ranma however, Shakeera wasn't training him in the ways of Magic or Psychics. As he always ended those lessons with a bad headache. Or with some bruises or burns. Like the time she tried to show him how to telekinetically push things. That was a lesson in control for the dark haired youth. He, she at the time, had been in the center of a glade and was trying to hold a rock off of the ground with just his mind. Then she told him to push it away from himself. What he managed though was to push himself, herself at the time, away from the rock with far to much force and inner strength. As such he had drained himself and bruised himself on the tree behind where he had sat. Luckily for Ranma his new body could withstand much more force than he's ever been able to do before, even his female form could do so. Unluckily he had drained his inner strength so far that even his Chi and Ki flows were weakened. Shakeera was surprised that he had remained conscious, and congratulated him. She had also told him that with practice that he'd only get better with more practice.

A few dozen meters away, sitting in a tree over looking the glade that they sat in was Shampoo. She was watching the two dual in the strange hand-to-hand fighting styles that they were both very well versed in. As well the violet haired lass could tell that the boy was much more skilled than she had thought. She had seen it when they had traveled to Jusenkyo, and she was even further insulted to learn that the boy was the same person as the cursed girl that she had been sparing with the last few weeks. It had shamed her to make that type of mistake in her Great Grandmothers presence. It had shamed her further to see the arrogant male fighting with so much more power than she had, and to have the knowledge that she had won their battle when he could probably have killed her with one well placed punch. The Amazon warrior held very few delusions about her own battle prowess, though many viewed her as dense or bull headed Shampoo did know where she stood in terms of skill power and capability. And now that she was able to see this outsider's skill for what it really was she could only berate herself for her actions. Though she had won their encounter last time, Shampoo knew that it was because she had attacked him when he was weak. Something that she felt was not the way that a warrior should behave.

After a bit more watching the young warrior waltzed into the clearing and shouted in broken Japanese. "You, warrior. Why you no fight well when you fight with Shampoo!" She hollered towards Ranma.

Ranma yelled back in the limited Chinese that he was learning from Cologne. "This one well enough fight time before! What mean you this one fight no well?" He said in anger.

Shampoo got right in front of him and slashed forward in a sneak attack with her bonbori. Ranma held up his arm and effortlessly blocked the heavy iron maces head on his unguarded forearm. The mace dented inwards and Shampoo could feel the reverberations in the handle as if she had hit something stronger than the hardest metal.

"Shampoo mean like this. Why you no fight this good stupid boy. Why you pre… pre…" The violet haired girl switched to Chinese for a second. "Why did you pretend not to be able to fight you coward. Did you think that I could not handle the likes of you?"

Ranma of course could only pick out the basics of what she had said as he was still only fluent enough to keep up with a first grader in China. But he did pick up her use of Coward. And that was enough for him to bristle at the accusation. "What mean coward. This one no coward!" He yelled back in Chinese.

Shakeera watched on the sidelines and groaned. She started to cast her language spell, but right before finishing it she held the spell matrix in her mind and stepped between the two bickering youths and places her index and middle finger of her two upper arms over the lips of each of them. They both sat there for a second stunned by the odd action. Shakeera took this peace to back off slightly.

Ranma was the first to speak, and he spoke in Japanese. "Look here you crazy chick. I said I didn't think you were weaker than me."

Shampoo's eyes widened as what she had heard was perfect Chinese. So she responded in kind. "Then why did you not attack me last week with the skill and power that you used today?" She asked her hands on her hips. "It is insulting to a warrior to win because their opponent is holding back."

Ranma didn't even bat an eyelash at hearing Shampoo speak perfect Japanese as he's been around Shakeera and her spells. In fact Shakeera had already learned Japanese and was working on Chinese using a modified spell and talking a great length with Ranma in the evenings.

"I've tried to tell you before Shampoo. I-" Ranma started but was interrupted by the violet haired girl.

"You dare call me by name outsider? YOU DARE!" She said getting very angry for the first time. "Who said you could be so familiar with me male! First you mock me by acting weaker than you are. And now you take a presumptuous attitude with me." Shampoo said in feminine outrage.

The argument might have continued much longer, or even come to blows, if someone else had not entered the clearing. "Xian Pu! Ranma Saotome! Stand Down this instant!" Cologne barked out in Chinese.

The two youths stopped and turned to face the Elder, standing at each of their styles version of attention. For Shampoo this was feet shoulder width apart, head straight forward, and hands clasped in front of her with her dominant hand over her off hand. For Ranma this was closer to a military pose of attention with heals together and hands at his side and eyes front. Both had looks of embarrassment on their faces.

"Since the two of you are so intent on proving which one of you was either holding back, or misinterpreting the other. Then I have no choice but to have the two of you fight each other to determine your standing with one another."

Cologne hopped over to a rock and perched on top of it with her cane held in her hand above her. "You can use any move but lethality. Xian Pu! Outsider laws do not apply, none of them. You may not kill, enslave, torture, marry, copulate, belittle, or anything else as a punishment or otherwise of this challenge."

"Ranma! You will cease competition with Xian Pu if she is the victor, and you will cease competition with her if you are the victor. And you will not antagonize her further."

"Do I Make Myself Clear!" She barked out in an authoritative tone.

"Yes Sensei!" Ranma hollered out.

"Yes Elder!" Shampoo followed immediately.

The two youths then turned and got into their ready position. Shampoo drew out an undamaged Bonbori while Ranma accepted a Bo staff thrown at him by Shakeera.

As the two of them prepared to face off Cologne leaned towards Shakeera who had walked over to stand next to the stone the Elder was perched on. "When did Ranma learn such good Chinese?" She asked the four-armed girl.

"He didn't, it's my language spell." She replied.

"Oh." The Elder then turned back to the two fighters that were standing at the ready. "READY! FIGHT!"

**Scene Break**

Nabiki looked over the school courtyard below the window of her classroom. She saw a large group of boys laid out on the ground as if they had been taken down by a tank or large riot squad. Of course that would not have been too far from the truth as the boys on the ground outside were the Hentai Horde as they were known, and they had been taken out by hurricane Akane on her way in to school.

The middle Tendo daughter thought back on how they had been told about an engagement earlier that week. She had been a little bit excited at first, that is until she found out that no one knew what type of man Genma's son was. She had also been willing to go along with it as long as it was an engagement and not marriage. After all she didn't want to be tied to the family Dojo for the rest of her life.

Of course the results of the announcement was that Kasumi was even more withdrawn than normal, though her father was much happier than he had been in ages. The unfortunate one was Akane. She had turned up her 'I Hate Boys' routine by several notches. So much that even a few of Akane's own friends were starting to ask the enraged teen if her actions were truly merited. The sad thing was that Nabiki was sure that Akane really did like boys. And even wanted to date and hang out with them. But with Kuno and his proclamation of 'To Date her, you must beat her!' there was no way to get Akane to like boys until the Hentai Horde was taken out of the equation.

However Nabiki was not about run interference, or even intelligence for her sister until Akane asked and learned a bit of humility. The mercenary girl didn't think that besides Kuno there was anyone with as big a chip on her shoulder than her younger sister.

Nabiki winced as one boy got up only to crouch back down and hold his gut from internal pain. _"Ok, maybe it would be better to take the engagement with Saotome's son rather than let Akane have him."_ She thought to herself.

**Scene Break**

A couple of days had passed since Ranma's fight with Shampoo. In that time Ranma had finally gotten a good grasp on his two forms strengths. Right now only one of the two youths were present, as Ranma was off being trained by Shakeera in the use of ranged weaponry.

In Ranma's absence Shampoo made her argument to her clans Matriarch.

"Great Grandmother." She began once she had entered the clearing where Cologne was preparing some type of herbal poultice.

"Yes Granddaughter?" The Elder said as she stirred the small pot filled with freshly picked roots, leaves, and barks.

"This humble one would like to request knowledge of why this one has been forbidden from a marriage challenge with the honorable visitor." Shampoo asked while kneeling in supposition behind her Elder.

"Goodness child. There is no need to be so formal." Cologne said while she damped her fire so as not to burn her poultice that she was making. "Stand up and face me like my student, and not a sniveling government bean counter."

"Yes Great Grandmother." Shampoo said as she came to a sitting position before standing and politely facing Cologne. "I wanted to know why you forbade me from a marriage challenge."

"Because youngling. Ranma Saotome will soon be of a new clan of our tribe. If you were to challenge him and he declined you would lose face in both our family and our tribe." Cologne answered.

"He would not turn me down." The lavender tressed girl said confidently.

Cologne just looked at her for a moment before answering. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because Ranma does not back down from challenges. Besides he would make a perfect addition to the tribe." The girl said then got a dreamy look in her eyes. "And he'd be a good father of my children." To which she gained a knock to her noggin from the heavy end of Colognes staff. "What did you do that for Great Grandmother."

"You're only interested in him because he's not chasing after you for marriage like some other young fools I could mention."

"That's not true, he's strong and capable."

"Yes he is, and he's probably the only one to defeat you in a few years that isn't an Elder or War Master themselves. But that does not change my decision." Cologne then turned back to her pot and continued making her concoction. "Also I have been lax in your training this last month. Go back to the village and pack a travel bag. Include your weighted armor and weapons."

Shampoo groaned at her last order then turns and heads back into the village.

**Scene Break**

"Ok, now feel the cold rock in front of you. Good, now gently push away from it." Shakeera said as she sat in a meditative pose next to Ranma-chan who had her eyes closed and hands on her knees in her own meditative posture.

In front of the two red heads were several large stones about the size of a person's head. They didn't look like they were there normally, but as if they had been brought into the clearing from a stream or another place that such large stones would be commonplace.

Shakeera watched over Ranma-chan in her meditation, but kept an eye out for any villagers that may come near as the two of them had been requested not to show off the magic or powers of the mind that were natural to Shakeera and were now natural to Ranma-chan. While the cursed red head was concentrating, the four-armed red head felt Cologne come near to where they were practicing.

When the Elder hopped into the clearing Shakeera held up one hand to halt Colognes progression and motioned with another towards the still concentrating Ranma-chan.

While the two of them watched, Ranma-chan seemed to intensify her aura somehow and then a small yellow glow could be seen seeping out from beneath her eyelids. The neo-girl opened her eyes and the other two could see that her eyes were the color of the golden yellow light and seemed to be solid orbs of the light rather than the normal gray blue eyes. As soon as Ranma-chan's eyes had opened, several of the stones in front of her shot away from her as if shot from a cannon.

Cologne knocked one up into the air with a deflection move from her staff that would have hit her in the shoulder had she not moved. Then the old woman stared in awe at the display of mental powers. "I have not seen a true Mind Mage in many generations." She said to herself, but was amazingly loud enough to bring Ranma-chan out of her trance.

"Huh, wha..?" The red head said in confusion for a second as she brought her focus back to reality. As she did so her eyes stopped glowing and reverted to their normal color.

"That was great Ranma," Shakeera said as she stood up and offered a hand down to her student in Magic and the Mind. "But you need to concentrate not to manifest you spirit when you use psionics. Otherwise you'll drain yourself of your inner strength in a wasteful show of flashy lights."

"Is that why I feel so tired right now?" Ranma-chan asked as she took the offered hand and struggled to get up.

"Yup, it'll drain you three to ten times faster than just using your powers by themselves. But it sure can be intimidating." Shakeera said as she helped Ranma-chan, and then held the other girl as the neo-girl stumbled after standing up. Shakeera then looked at Cologne. "And we're not Mind Mages. We're Psionisists. Mind Mages cast magic with their mind. Psionisists tap into their internal strength in order to affect the world around them."

Cologne chuckled at the young dimensional travelers comment. "My apologies, however I didn't come to discuss the differences of magic and mental powers. I came to inform you that I was going to take a month long sojourn away from here."

Ranma-chan finally had enough strength to stand on her own so she took a small step back from Shakeera before saying her own piece. "So why ya leaving Elder? I haven't had as good a training session in martial arts for years."

"I have found that my training of Shampoo to be very lax this last month. She needs to get back on the ball as it were." Cologne turned to leave but stopped before she left the clearing. "Shakeera, this might be a good time for you to take young Ranma to his homeland and help him to discover his roots."

The two red heads looked at each other and shrugged. "Ranma, lets talk about that after Cologne leaves. Okay?" Shakeera said and Ranma-chan nodded.

"Oh and one more thing. I have requested permission of the Council of Elders of the Jokentetsu to adopt both of you into the tribe as a new clan. They have accepted, from here on out you are both of the Clan Fire of the Jokentetsu. In your possessions at my hut is a codex of our laws, read them well." Cologne then did leave the clearing.

"Amazons huh?" Ranma-chan said.

"That's interesting, so why do you think that she did that?"

"Dunno. Hey, how did you do that sword thingy again?"

**End Chapter**

Authors Notes:Thanks for all the reviews. This will be a very long running fanfiction if my story board holds true. There should be about 15 chapters in this which is book one. Book two is just starting its story layout right now, and so far has 10 chapters plotted. I'm hoping to get at least 5 books before writers block or worse sets in.

Wish me luck.

Oh yeah, and does anyone have any requests for this fic? Though it's already storyboarded out I can change things around if someone has a really good suggestion. You know, like timeline suggestions, such as Ranma meets up with his mother before the Tendo's. Or Ryoga comes very early, or even not at all. Saffron Attacks in person two weeks after they reach wherever they get to.

I'm writing this for my readers as well as for personal enjoyment. I would like to see this story reach 150,000 words plus, but want my readers to enjoy it more than I want to produce a heavy unwieldy piece of work that no one likes.

TTFN


	6. Chapter 6 Interlude

A Different Type of Visitor

Chapter 05 done. Some Reviews in. Dang nab it though, couple of my reviewers suggested that I have them Meet with Nodoka early on. Do you guys realize how many storyboards I had to rewrite due to your great suggestion? At least 4000 words or so. But I think that this one will turn out much better than originally planned, as I was able to add a variance to Nodoka that I've always enjoyed. Guess I'll just have to have Nodoka in Book 1 after all. Hope everyone likes this version.

Also I've been asked why I only accept signed reviews. I don't know about the other fanfiction authors out there, but when I've posted and accepted unsigned reviews I got flamed and criticized by a type of person I like to call a Fic Lawyer. For those fiction lawyers reading this, please keep in mind that this is a non-profit work of fiction. That the characters are not mine, but the situation is one I created for them. Also that there will be OOC or changes, that is a given for practically any fanfiction. Especially Altered Universe types of fiction, which this is most definitely one of. I love to hear reviews, and even criticism. But I actually got one review on this one on another site that the reviewer complained saying that Ranma was supposed to fall into the spring of drowned girl. Not get knocked into a completely different spring. For people like that, please just go back and read the Manga or watch the Anime. Because if little differences like that bug you then you should probably not be reading fanfiction. It's better for your health that way. For those of you who enjoy what I've been writing, Thanks for sticking with me.

Now on to Chapter 06 of ADTOV

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

**Chapter 06 Interlude**

Mint looked over at their strange traveling companion. After they had managed to unlock the Jusenkyo curse on their prince, Herb had still insisted on keeping this pudgy middle-aged martial artist with them. In fact they were on their way to stop off at a friend of his for some reason.

"Mint, Lime." Herb-kun said to his two retainers. "You two will stay in the forest here, and not come into the town."

"Why Prince Herb?" The larger of the two asked.

"Because, we are visiting a friend of Genma's and I do not wish for you to botch anything like is your wont to do. So stay here and wait. We should be back in one or two days." Herb said as he turned to head towards the town.

Thus said, the two underlings of Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty stayed behind on the outskirts of Nerima.

A few hours later a disgruntled Panda and a slightly pouting pink and purple haired girl arrived at the front gate to the Tendo Dojo. Both were carrying large and worn travel packs. However Herb-chan was wearing a blue Chinese fighting tang with a golden dragon crest embroidered into the back rather than her normal dragon armor. The reason why is that she didn't want anyone to know who or what she was at the moment. Especially as

"I told you we shouldn't have walked near the river Saotome." Herb-chan said next to the larger and very wet bulk of her traveling companion. Who of course only growffed in response. Herb-chan just blew a lock of pink hair out of her face and raised her fist to knock on the gate.

A few moments after they had knocked at the gate a young woman with kind eyes answered. "Welcome to the Tendo Dojo." She said. "May I help you?"

"Yes, we are here on behalf of an old friend of the master of this Dojo. May we enter?" Herb-chan asked in a polite manner that was not quite consistent with the expression on her face, which almost looked like she was biting something rotten or bitter.

The young woman bowed towards them and backed up slightly to let them pass her into the entrance. "Be well traveler. I'll go get my father Soun Tendo, until then you can rest in our greeting room. Your pet can stay in the yard." The young woman then stood up fully and closed the gate after they both entered. "I am Kasumi Tendo by the way."

Herb-chan bowed her head slightly in greeting. "I am Herb of the Musk." She replied, with a small grin. Once Kasumi was a little bit ahead of them she leaned over to Genma. "Yes 'Pet' you can stay in the yard." She said as she strained the last part of the sentence.

Genma-panda still tried to follow Herb-chan into the house but the smaller girl just gave him a wicked punch in the gut followed by a condescending waive of her finger. "No no Panda man. You will stay here."

Kasumi was far enough ahead that she didn't hear what Herb-chan had said, but she still caught that this girl had sucker punched a panda bear hard enough to get it to pause. The eldest Tendo daughter may not have been much of a martial artist currently, but that didn't mean that she didn't know how to judge skill and power. And she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this young girl near her had serious power. But for the Wa of the house, and the façade of her being, Kasumi Tendo decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

Once the two of them were inside with the large panda standing in the doorway looking a bit disgruntled Herb-chan stopped Kasumi before she could go further into the house. "Could I request a kettle of hot water from you Mistress of the house?" The cursed girl asked politely, though knowing that she was butchering her Japanese honorifics as she had not been able to learn to many as of yet.

"Yes, I will retrieve it for you momentarily." Kasumi said and turned towards the kitchen rather than the far porch where she knew her father would be sitting at this time during the day.

Herb-chan took a few moments to look around the house she was in. It was small, but well kept she could see. The tatami mats well kept, and the rice paper partitions looked to be in excellent repair and placement. In fact it looked to be a very old style that dated back many years if she was one to judge. Especially after being bombarded by the newer technologies that were available out there, the computer store itself had sent her into near convulsions when a particular fractal image had appeared on the screen that awoke a part of her dragon heritage into the attempt to solve the geometric enigma that had been presented.

After a few more moments Kasumi had brought a steaming teakettle into the room and placed it on the small eating table in the center. As Herb-chan was reaching for it, a big hairy paw grabbed it from in front of her.

"Hey! Overgrown Oaf of a FOOL!" She yelled at Genma as the Panda poured the hot water over its head.

"Wha-" A male voice came from the other side of the room as Genma shifted from being a large and relatively pudgy Panda bear into a large and bald and also relatively pudgy martial artist.

"Tendo! It's been a long time!" Genma said as he walked over towards his old training partner and long time friend.

"Saotome? Is that you?" Soun said as he looked at his friend. "What happened? Were you that Panda I saw a moment ago?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Yes it's me. It's also a long story." Genma said as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm here to visit. Herb and myself have to get my lazy son away from some crazy Amazons we met in China."

"Then why aren't you there right now. And who's Herb?" Soun asked.

"Why Prince Herb is…" Genma looked around the dining room that he and Soun were talking in. "Not here, where'd he go?"

**Scene Break**

Nabiki and Kasumi watched on as Herb-chan and Akane were sparing in the Dojo. It was obvious to them that Akane was very out classed by the smaller pink and purple haired girl.

The two girls sparring went into another combo of attacks and parries, Akane trying to move in a circular motion around Herb-chan who just stood in place blocking and parrying Akane's near futile punches. Every tenth or twentieth punch or kick by the raven haired girl and Herb-chan would counter with a vicious jab or hook punch that would often send the other girl flying across the room.

After several moments of this Nabiki grew bored and walked off. As much as she liked seeing her kid sister taken down a couple notches the mercenary girl still had other things that needed to be done. A few moments later and Kasumi left as well as she needed to put some final preparations for dinner before it grew to late.

Akane and Herb-chan continued to spar. Akane continued because she was having the fight of her life. Even discounting the slight limp and favoring of her left arm the raven-haired girl was grinning like a maniac. For Herb-chan it was something else. This girl in front of her showed basic skill, and a great penchant for taking punishment. But the most impressive thing to Herb-chan was that this girl who had requested to spar with her seemed to truly enjoy this training that she was giving to her in the form of a fight. It was like nothing that she had encountered before. Even Genma Saotome, who Herb-chan knew for a fact enjoyed fighting, never enjoyed the frustration of being made a mockery of like this girl did.

It bore looking into.

**Scene Break**

Nabiki walked into the main room of their house to find her father talking with an older man.

"So the agreement is still on, old friend?" She heard the pudgy man in a very travel worn faded gi ask her father.

"Yes, it is. We just need to decide who he will be betrothed to." Soun said to the other man.

"Well he does have a similar curse to myself, that needs to be taken into consideration old buddy."

"Right you are Saotome. So what is his cursed form then?"

"That of a weak girl. Oh the fates. But it is reversed with hot water." Genma Saotome said.

Nabiki was about to walk away. Sure her father had told them about the engagement earlier that week. However it was obvious to her that the two men had lost a few bricks out of their mental load. How could a boy turn into a girl and back. Just not possible in the realms of physics that she knew.

"So do you mind showing me how the curse works again Saotome?" Nabiki's father asked his friend.

"No problem, old friend. Since it's still raining outside that will be easiest. Just please make sure to have some hot water prepared as that is how to undo the curse." So saying Genma walked out the open partition into the rain still coming down and turned into a large Panda bear.

Nabiki's eyes just about popped out of her head when she saw the large ursine creature standing there. Then the cursed being walked back into the room and held up a sign with poorly written Japanese on it stating. "Hot Water Please!"

Nabiki just nodded her head as her father wasn't moving either. The middle Tendo went into the kitchen where she found Kasumi had a water kettle on the stove. The eldest Tendo girl handed the hot water to Nabiki. "Fascinating isn't it? I saw them earlier when I led Father's old friend into the house." Kasumi said to her younger sister.

"You mean that's real?" Nabiki said. "Then their friend is really a boy. A boy that Akane is fighting, and enjoying the fight." Nabiki was about to leave the room then turned back quickly. "If Akane enjoys his presence, maybe we should do something about it. I mean it's not as if she'll have anything to do with the boys at school right now, right?"

"You're right Nabiki, but I should think that you should get that water to Mr. Saotome as he is a little impatient when he's a Panda."

"Weird." Nabiki muttered as she left the room back into the dining room to where her father and Mr. Saotome were having a discussion via Genma's signs. "Here's your water." Nabiki said as she held out the kettle to the Panda.

Said Panda just grabbed the kettle and poured the water over his head and changed back into the man she had seen earlier.

Nabiki then walked over to her father. "Father?"

"Yes daughter." Soun replied giving his middle daughter his attention.

"Akane would be the right one for this." She said thinking that she was doing her sister a favor. "She's been having trouble with boys lately and this might be a way for her to enjoy the time with one without feeling pressured." She said.

"Right you are Nabiki. Very well, then Akane shall be engaged to him, and married at their earliest convenience." The Tendo Patriarch exclaimed thinking that Nabiki was talking about Genma's son Ranma.

Genma of course agreed, even though he had never met Soun's youngest, and only been briefly introduced to his elder two daughters. This was about merging the two clans.

Of course the two of them didn't realize that they were talking about Prince Herb, as that was who Nabiki thought they were talking about. But things being the way they were, neither one of the masters of Anything Goes Martial Arts were going to complain.

**Scene Break**

Nodoka Saotome whirled in place in her Dojo. She placed a foot behind her and spun to the reverse facing of her stance. One arm rotated from behind her to a strait armed stance in front of her with her index and middle finger pointing as if it were a gun. Her other arm was underneath and pointing across her body at a 40 degree angle off of center with her index and middle finger poised and rigid as well.

She then c-stepped into a 18 degree angle away from where she first stood, moving her gun finger held hands into two different firing arcs, only slightly overlapping.

Perspiration could be seen on her brow, and also on the floor below her. On the ground were many different triangles, circles, squares and other geometric patters interwoven in a strange but synergistic pattern with a strange flow that a regular martial artist would not be able to work a Kata without stepping on one of the lines, or stepping off of one of the lines.

Nodoka Saotome's feet were currently parallel to the lines of one of the squares, both squared off from her body, pointing down her strait line of sight to the walls of the dojo.

On those walls were other shapes and figures, including many many different holes, some of which had wooden pegs in them, others that were empty. Nodoka herself was dressed in a well tailored hakims, but not a normal one. Rather than being very large, and free flowing her hakama was form fitting and very feminine. Dark charcoal blue in color, with black trim the outfit was made of a form of silk and had ties in place on it to place a sword or guns in holsters.

After several more motions of her kata, the auburn haired woman flipped backwards towards one of the walls and pulled at one of the wooded pegs. Once pulled free the peg turned out to be the handle of a strait boken, similar in shape to a normal boken, but with no back curve. She continued in her kata with the sword, and the movements seemed very synergistic with the earlier kata. But with an emphasis towards close attack rather than long ranged motions. The strikes were brutal, and the movements quick and efficient.

Before Nodoka could get to far into this kata though the sound of a phone ringing could be heard. She stopped and looked towards where the noise came from before wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

**Scene Break**

Akane looked over at her opponent. They had been sparring for a while now. And while the youngest Tendo was very winded, and also had a limp from a powerful block of kick earlier she was also having the time of her life. She had never been pushed so hard in martial arts, and had never been held off so well either. But the best part was the fact that the girl facing her wasn't scoffing or even holding her punches she felt. If the girl was holding her punches then she'd be able to punch through solid rock and maybe even metal.

Herb-chan was a bit confused. Sure she knew now that this girl enjoyed fighting. But, even to the degree she did was ridiculous. However if things kept up, and her offer of friendship was true, then this girl would probably improve greatly in skill in just a matter of days or weeks. As things stood she was finally tightening up her defense against Herb-chan's attacks. Now instead of every single attack getting through, every 10th was blocked by the other girl.

While Herb-chan was thinking, Akane was preparing a brutal combination. Or at least thought she was. The long black haired girl swept in with a lower leg feint hoping to catch her opponent off guard as she hadn't used kicks in the last few minutes. She even had a great follow up feint readied that would hopefully hide her real attack until it actually got through.

What happened instead was that Herb-chan used her foot to hook behind Akane's knee on her forward leg sweep. Using an upward kick the pink and purple haired girl flung Akane up into the air so hard that she ended up flipping completely over and landing on her stomach. Herb-chan followed up with a grab to the back of the other girl's gi and flung her upwards into the ceiling where she hit back first.

Akane watched as she started to fall back down and the other girl kicked straight up into her shoulder, which caused her to start to spin in the air a bit on her way down. Once the girl's spin got her body perpendicular to the floor Herb-chan punched her in hip opposite to the direction of her spin which caused, albeit with much pain, Akane to stop rotating. Then before the raven-haired girl fell down from disorientation or pain Herb-chan grabbed the front of her gi and steadied her.

Herb-chan expected her excitable young opponent to get angry or at least a little bit afraid after this action. What she didn't expect was Akane to lunge forward and latch onto her in a fierce, if weakened, hug.

"Thank you." Akane said while trying to catch her breath. "Thank you so much." She said almost teary eyed.

Herb-chan just stood there, not knowing quite what to do. She could feel the other girl's breasts pushing into hers, as well as smell her sweat and tears. The feeling almost overwhelming her senses as her opponent just continued to hug and thank her again. So she did what she thought would be best in this circumstance, Herb-chan hugged the other girl back and patted her on the back while she felt her clothes dampen in Akane's sweat.

**Scene Break**

"Thank you for coming on short notices Mrs. Saotome." A well-dressed Japanese man said from his sitting position across from Nodoka.

"It was no problem Mr. Mashanikai." Nodoka answered from her seat. She was dressed in a semi-formal Kimono, and had her family honor blade resting against her lap in front of her. The two of them were sitting in an outdoor café near to where Nodoka currently lived.

"I asked you here so that I could inform you that I will be taking over your case, and needed to ask you some questions regarding information in your portfolio." The lawyer said politely as he pulled up a leather bound briefcase and set it on the table in between them.

"May I ask why? I haven't been requested for more details for a few years since this case was opened."

"I make it a point to acquaint myself will all of my clients, especially as I have not worked on your case yet and feel that there might be some information that may have been overlooked by my predecessor."

"Was he not a good lawyer then?" Nodoka asked.

"No he was one of the best. But I have found that everyone has a different perspective and he may see things that I do not, and I may see things that he did not. As such it is important to familiarize myself with not just the written material of a case, but also the living clientele that our firm represents."

"In that case, where would you like to begin?"

"I would like to begin with the contract that your husband left behind the day that he left with your only child." Mr. Mashanikai stated as he pulled out a copy of the Seppuku contract.

**Scene Break**

Kasumi was leading Herb-chan to the furo after her spar with Akane. The raven-haired girl had left into the house proper several minutes before the eldest Tendo had taken it upon herself to find where their wayward guest was.

Herb-chan meanwhile was not protesting being led to the Japanese style bath as she did want to bathe a bit and had no compulsion or otherwise about changing back into her natural gender. In fact she wanted to be rid of this other body as soon as she could.

Kasumi showed her where the towels were then excused herself as she still had some preparing to do for dinner that evening. Herb-chan washed off prior to entering the furo tub itself, all the while thinking back on her encounter with the oddly behaved Akane.

"Let's be friends, she asked." Herb-chan said to herself. "What is a friend."

"I've never had friends, vassals yes. Retainers, yes. But never any friends." She said speaking aloud her internal conversation.

"Do I want a 'friend'?" Herb-chan continued out loud as she stepped into the furo and turned back into her birth gender. _"What would I do with a friend?"_ He continued in thought only as he relaxed in the hot waters.

"_She is a dedicated, if unskilled fighter. Could she be more?" _

"_Do I want more? What would I do with such a woman though."_

Herb looked down at himself through the water, and thought back on the curse. _"I've been traveling with that fool Saotome for some time now. And have left my Kingdome behind. What is there for me if not my land and people."_ He looked strait ahead, but Herb-kun's eyes unfocused as he gazed inwardly. _"But as frustrated as I have been, I have felt more alive in this last few months than in the last several years."_

He stood up in the furo. _"I now know what I need to do."_

**Scene Break**

Akane was in a euphoric state after her fight. But was too bruised to go into the furo to soak right now. Even though she knew for a fact if she didn't soak her muscles shortly she would be stiff for a few days.

But instead of going for the soak, she lay on her bed with a dreamy look on her face. "Finally." She said out loud. _"Finally, someone who took me for me, and not for something to be won. Finally someone who took me seriously."_ Akane thought to herself.

The raven-haired girl held up her right arm despite it's pulled muscle from a bad fall. "I've never felt so good after a fight." She muttered out loud.

"And that combo she pulled on me. I thought that stuff only happened in the movies." She said as she thought about the disorienting air juggle that she had been the recipient of not to long ago. "And to put me back on my feet rather than letting me land." Akane stated, the beginnings of hero worship plainly visible on her face.

"It's too bad she's a girl. I wish some guy would treat me so well."

**Scene Break**

About an hour after Herb-kun had gotten out of the furo found the pink and purple haired prince walking up behind Soun on the porch over looking the yard. It was still raining at this time as the Patriarch of the Tendo family watched the peaceful afternoon shower.

"Honorable scion of the house of Tendo." Herb-kun began as he kneeled down next to Soun in the same position as Mr. Tendo. "I am Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty." He said. "I would beseech of you the hand of your youngest daughter Akane. I would wish of her to be my bride and Queen."

Soun had been sitting enjoying the afternoon shower as Genma had gone off for a minute. And had not been expecting a deep male voice that range with authority to sound next to him in his contemplation. Yet more, he did not expect a formal request of engagement of one of his daughters by the male version of the girl he had seen earlier that day. Though Soun did know about Herb's curse thanks to Genma, he did not expect to feel such a noble presence as the Prince of the Musk presented.

The Tendo Patriarch turned his head slightly so that he could catch a glimpse of the prince in his peripheral vision. "May I ask why you would have my youngest in marriage?"

"She is of a fiery temperament and physical drive that I feel would complement my line of Dragon Princes of our Kingdome. Not many have withstood a training session with me, and less have enjoyed it." Herb-kun explained. "She has impressed me in the short time since I have met her, and would wish to engage with her so as to know more about this intriguing young girl that you have raised."

"But what of Ranma? My old friend and training partner had stated that you were helping him on his travels. As well my other two daughters have said that Akane would do well to be engaged to Saotome's lad."

"That may be true, but I am here and have met and seen Akane in battle. Ranma is still in Amazon lands and thus unavailable. As well, Akane has already asked for me to remain and train with her."

"Is there another way Prince of the Musk." Soun asked brining his vision in front of him once again.

"Perhaps, could I then have permission to woo her at her pleasure once your friend and myself return from our quest to regain his son from the hands of the Amazons?"

They were both silent for a few moments as Soun thought Prince Herb's request over. "Yes, once you return and we discuss with young Ranma about his engagement to one of my daughters."

"Then I shall be off as soon as Genma and I can be ready. Good day then, I will prepare to leave at the earliest convenience." Herb-kun said and stood up to make his way to the guest room that Kasumi had shown him earlier that evening.

"Hmm…. Perhaps Nabiki then, she has never really mentioned any men in her life." Soun muttered to himself once he was alone.

**Scene Break**

Akane had finally mustered up enough energy to come down to the family room. When she got there she saw a handsome man with almost the same hairstyle and color of the Herb. Curious she watched as he went up the stairs that she had just left.

She then went over to her father who seemed very happy for some reason. "Father?" She asked.

Soun turned to look at his youngest daughter and then jumped up as he saw the bruises that were already forming on her. "AKANE! WHAT HAPPENED! WHO DID THIS TO YOU!" He demanded in a frightened yell.

"DAD!" Akane yelled trying to shock him out of his panic. "Stop it." When Soun did calm down Akane continued in a near dreamy voice. "It was Herb, we sparred and she treated me like a real warrior. I've never felt so happy before."

"So Herb did this to you." Soun said in a near disbelieving voice.

"Yes, she's the best." Akane then came down from cloud nine for a second and focused her vision directly on her father's eyes. "Can she stay? Please. I want her to be around for as long as possible."

Unfortunately for the Tendo Patriarch, he missed Akane's gender reference as he was more interested in the fact that Akane seemed to really like the Musk Prince. "Yes, Herb can stay here the rest of his life if he desires."

"Thanks Dad." Akane said and then took off to the kitchen happily, even as she herself missed her fathers gender references when it came to Herb.

Genma had walked into the room himself in the middle of Soun's conversation with Akane. He saw her expression, and then made the connection with Nabiki's earlier comments and Akane's happiness.

"Tendo, old buddy."

Soun turned to look at Genma. "Yes Saotome?"

"I think that your daughter Nabiki was right. Herb may be the best choice for Prince Herb. Maybe Nabiki or Kasumi would be a good choice for Ranma instead of Akane?" He said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have traveled with Herb, and if Akane likes him, than she probably would not get along with my missing son. But perhaps Ranma would benefit from a strong hand to guide him, like your highly observant daughter Nabiki?"

"Yes Saotome, Nabiki is my smartest daughter. And quite shrewd too when needs be. Let's discuss this more when you have returned with your wayward son."

"Yes, lets. Then for now I must leave. Take care old friend." Genma said and turned to go upstairs to collect his traveling pack and companion.

**Scene Break**

Nodoka was sitting in a large office.

Beside her on the left wall as a person would enter the room there was a disperse collection of weaponry. Towards the entrance to the room there were several paired long barreled hand guns of various types of build and under them are many rows of clips and munitions of many different designs and colors. Underneath each set of munitions there is a name or symbol, so as to describe or announce what it was.

After the munitions and handguns were several rifles sitting in upright racks 4 of them of a very high tech design. but the first two were of a design so archaic that a musket may appear higher tech. However the two archaic firearms had many obscure runes and symbols engraved in their wooden stocks and crude metal barrels. Unlike the handguns and the 4 other rifles however, there was no ammunition or cases underneath these rifles.

On the nearest side to the desk in the room were 10 different Katana's of very ornate design. Several of them part of a full Daisho, but there was one very plain Katana with no discernable markings other than the fact that it was on a golden rack and encased in glass, underneath the sword was the simple Kanji for Orchid.

On the other wall was a vast collection of odd trinkets. A set of forearm claws, with one broken blade on the right hands set. There were a few swords of Oriental or European design. A handgun that was more of a small cannon than a gun with the hilt burnt to a crisp. A broken demon mask. and many other trinkets like what a hunter would gather.

On the desk in front of Nodoka were two sets of legal documents. The first set was a packet of divorce papers as well as a family registry with several open spots and an unsigned witness signature area.

The other set was a small grouping of papers, each one looking like a felony charge warrant for arrest, additional to them were several sets of pardons to many different crimes. All were unsigned and had no names on them as yet.

Nodoka sighs and files all of them into her file cabinet. Then she pulls out a small slate about the height and width of a writing clipboard that had a blank face like a television screen that had no power. She touched a small button on the front and a woman's face appeared in the blank area.

"I'll do it. But for a price."

**End Chapter**

Authors Notes:

Ok, first note. I've been wanting to do this take on Nodoka for about two years now. No I won't tell you where I got the Amalgam of skills that she will have, but a quick hint… The skills come from three different American Movies, and two different Anime from the late 80's and early 90's. If a reviewer can pick up which series I have drawn Nodoka's other persona (Besides her very Traditional role from the comics) then I can give them an insert into this story, either a character of their choice, or an Anime version of their avatar. Though I'm probably getting myself into a bit of trouble with my work with that I felt that it would be worth the challenge.

Thanks for all the reviews. This will be a very long running fanfiction if my storyboard holds true. There should be about 15 chapters in this, which is book one. Book two is just starting its story layout right now, and so far has 10 chapters plotted. I'm hoping to get at least 5 books before writers block or worse sets in.

Wish me luck.

Oh yeah, and does anyone have any requests for this fic? Though it's already storyboarded out I can change things around if someone has a really good suggestion. You know, like timeline suggestions, such as Ranma meets up with his mother before the Tendo's. Or Ryoga comes very early, or even not at all. Saffron Attacks in person two weeks after they reach wherever they get to.

I'm writing this for my readers as well as for personal enjoyment. I would like to see this story reach 150,000 words plus, but want my readers to enjoy it more than I want to produce a heavy unwieldy piece of work that no one likes.

As well, I've updated my personal profile. If you'd like to get to know me as the author a bit more or see what other works I'm working on please give me an email with the request.

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now, for those who are not familiar with Tigger)


	7. Chapter 7 Arrival

A Different Type of Visitor (ADTOV) Chapter 07

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Hope everyone liked the interlude. If you didn't, sorry but I needed it to move some of the side storylines along. After all, it's not just Ranma and Shakeera. But all of the cast that makes a story great. So I needed to do some development of the other characters, especially those who I've either changed, or redirected. Otherwise you'd just have another OOC fic without any of the character development to justify their being OOC.

Now on with the fic.

Chapter 07

Ranma-kun and his companion from the stars were making their way to her spaceship, after a day of looking they found it. "Good, it's still covered in the camouflage canopy." Shakeera said, then grimaced a little. "And still battered up a bit."

Ranma, however, was in awe of what little he could see of the craft. He watched as Shakeera went over to a panel in the side of a portion of the exposed metal and tapped it a few times with the palm of her hand. A small panel of battle armor swung upwards to reveal a button pad and small screen underneath. The four-armed girl then typed a short but complex sequence into the buttons located in the security console. A hatch swung open and Ranma could see that the interior was bigger than he thought it would be.

The raven-haired youth looked quickly inside the craft then backed up a bit and concentrated his thoughts inward. Shakeera grinned as she felt Ranma's psionic power start to spike a bit. After about a minute of concentration Ranma took a telekinetically enhanced leap upwards and looked down onto the disturbed forest canopy. When he landed a moment later he whistled while looking towards the front and back of the craft.

"How large is it?" He asked Shakeera.

"It's about 25 of your meters in length" (A/N about 80 feet for you non-metric people) His companion answered.

"What is it?" Ranma asked still goggling around as Shakeera cleared some debris from around the entrance to her craft.

"Huh?" She said as she looked up from her task. "This is my ship that I arrived her in. Sorry about it's condition. I took some battle damage in the last dimension I traveled through."

"How does a ship travel through dimensions?" Ranma asked looking a touch confused. "I thought they traveled on water."

Shakeera laughed at his comment before answering. "Ranma, a ship is any type of vessel that can be used for traveling through a medium that can't be normally transversed safely by the people using it. My ship is a Space Ship. I travel through space. And sometime through time when my systems act up." She turned and entered the ship motioning for Ranma to follow.

As the two transverse the main entrance corridor Ranma looks around and notices something that was a bit off. "Shakeera?" He said.

"Yes Ranma."

"Why is the ceiling so high?"

"Oh, that's because this ship was modified for Kreegor use." Shakeera answered matter of factly.

"What's a Kreegor?"

"A Kreegor is a rather nasty creature from my home dimension. They stand 3 of your meters tall, and are covered in thick leathery plates of skin. They're roughly humanoid in shape, meaning they have two arms two legs and a head with no tail. But that's the end of their similarity to humans. They are hunched over and have flat noseless faces, and one mean disposition to one not of their race." Shakeera said as they went towards a door not to far from them. She punched in a code into the security console next to the door and the 10-foot tall hatch opened on its internal hydraulics. "The original group I traveled with in the Three Galaxies captured this ship from them before they could complete their trial run." She continued starting to sound a bit sad.

Ranma looked into the room that they entered, it looked like a boarding room or bunk room of some sort with 12 different shelf like beds lining the walls, 6 to a side and three high. "What happened? How'd you get the ship?" Ranma asked her.

Shakeera looked at the empty racks around the room before continuing. "We were a Freedom fighter cell group, it consisted of me, a Seljuk, a Catyr, two humans, and a Promethean. We were specially trained to board ships, capture them, and return to our home base with the craft so that we could convert it to the cause." She sighed as she sat down on a rack at the far side of the room. "This ship was supposed to be a cake walk."

"But it wasn't." Ranma stated as he sat on one of the human sized chairs placed around a table in the center of the room.

"No. It was not. We were supposed to be facing a small group of scientists that had modified a CAF Procter class long-range interceptor. What we encountered was a small group of imperial Invincible Guardsman. There may have been six of us to only three of them, but they took much more than we could give. The first was a modified Seljuk, and he took on Cryx who was our Seljuk weapons specialist as well as Leliar our Catyr commander. They died in the first round, but not before Cryx managed to unload his full payload of plasma into the torso of their heavy hitters."

"The two remaining Guardsman were much easier to take down, especially as they underestimated me because of my size. After that it was only myself, Thomas one of the humans, and Solas the Promethean left. Solas was almost dead too as he had been hit by a powerful magical curse that was shunting his bio essence into another dimension. We managed to get into the craft and take out the technicians easily without damaging anything but in the effort Solas used the last of his Phase powers to buy us some time."

"Thomas and myself managed to start up the ship and activated its TransDimensional drive as the TransGalactic Empires fighters were bearing down on us. One second we were flying through space with multiple inbound missiles, the next we were in some form of atmosphere and heading towards the ground at a high vector acceleration. Thomas didn't survive." She said while looking at her four hands that were grasped in her lap.

"You don't have to go on." Ranma said in sympathy.

"No, I need to. Even in my training in Psy-Scape I never really talked about this. Now that I'm in a second dimension away from my home dimension I might as well get it all out while I can." Shakeera said as she looked up at her raven-haired companion.

"After the crash I managed to get out of the ship, badly injured to the point that even my regenerative capabilities were strained. The ship wasn't totaled, but it wouldn't fly again without some serious repair. So I decided to try to set up a base camp there and determine where in the three galaxies I was. But as I exited the ship there was a shimmering in the air and I could feel powerful supernatural forces wafting around the area. Looking around I could only see mists and dull blue white light. After the mists cleared I found myself on the outskirts of a small village with many beings there. They took me in and helped to heal me of my wounds. There I was taken into apprenticeship to become a Psy-Warrior. I spent a couple of years there before I decided to travel again. We managed to repair my ship to proper order in that time, I traded much of the weapons stored on the ship for the money I needed to repair my ship."

"After that I traveled for a time as a mercenary, and found out that I had traveled to another dimension from my own. One year later I found myself invited to the Magical City of Dweomer. There I apprenticed myself to a kindly Temporal Raider who felt that I would make a good wizard. It was on a break a couple of years after he started to train me that I made a pretty stupid mistake."

"Mistake?" Ranma asked in a tone that prodded her to continue.

"Yeah, mistake. With a Capitol M. You see, I thought that my ship was damaged by the Kreegor forces before Thomas and I made our dimensional jump. What actually happened was that we made it clear scot-free. But were attacked by these nasty quarantine satellites around that version of Earth."

"Wait a minute. Earth? There's nothing like what you've described here." Ranma said.

"Not in this dimension. As I said it's in another plane of existence. The quarantine satellites of that Earth had damaged my ship, but I didn't know about them. So one week I decided to fly up to the moon orbiting the planet and see what was there. And on my way up into orbit I was attacked by hundreds of satellites. I didn't have time, or even the power to run or fight them, so I engaged the TransDimensional drive once more while crossing my fingers on where I might end up. And next thing I know I'm flying a once more damaged ship on a crash vector with this planet. Second verse, same as the first I guess."

"So you landed here and then saw me and Pops sparring at Jusenkyo." Ranma said.

"Yep, pretty much. And here we are. Anyways, Elder Cologne asked us to look into your family so I felt the best and fastest way would be to use my craft."

"Why not just walk there, we can train on the way." Ranma asked.

Shakeera just shot him a hooded glance as if to say that he's being a dunce. "Ranma, how long did it take you to get to Jusenkyo in the first place?"

"Uh.. about four or five months of travel. Why?"

"Do you want to take nine months of both our times before we either split paths, or get back to my ship?"

"I guess not." Ranma said with a slight pout that Shakeera just giggled a bit at.

"Ok, let's prep the ship for launch. I started a ship diagnostic when we entered the bunkroom, it should be done just about now. What say we go to the bridge and I show you what this baby can do." Shakeera said with a twinkle in her eyes.

**Scene Break**

"Hey Lady." A greasy sounding voice called out to a youthful looking woman as she walked in a seedier part of down town Tokyo. "Why don't my boys and I show you a good time.

Nodoka Saotome just smiled to herself as she continued to walk in her traditional kimono. She felt the comforting feel of her family honor blade resting in her arms.

"HEY LADY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" The ugly man yelled out to her.

Nodoka turned around towards him. The predatory grin on her face caused both the unwashed young man and his fellow gang members to take a step backwards.

**Scene Break**

Ranma watched in awe out of the view port of the control room of the ship. He found himself standing behind Shakeera who was sitting down at one of two of the front seats in the room. She was holding onto the control yokes of the ship with a well-practiced ease and guided it on their fast paced journey across the sea between Japan and China. The Rahu-man woman kept the craft just meters above the water, and was jucking around the crests and swells of the ocean as though flying 600 kilometers per hour just above the rushing water was as easy as walking down the street to the local convenience store for a soda.

After they whizzed by the third merchant freighter Ranma thought to ask something. "Can they see us? I mean we've gotta be pretty visible to them."

"They might be able to, if they're looking through infrared viewing devices. We're cloaked right now. About the only thing visible is the damaged portions of the craft. All anyone would see is a black wavering spec where they are anyways. Plus we're past them to fast for them to figure it out."

"So, cross our fingers, and hope that no one notices us huh?"

"Pretty much." Shakeera said as she tilted the craft to fly around a particularly high ocean swell. "We'll be up on the shores of your country in a few minutes. Anywhere you want to point out for us to fly to?"

"Go to the North part of the islands. Tokyo is there, that's where Pops and myself usually traveled through."

"Why didn't you want to try to find him." Shakeera asked her raven-haired companion.

Ranma just thought on that for a minute as he fingered his ponytail. "He'd just try to scam you out of something. Either that or berate us for being weak."

"Why would he do that?" The red haired girl asked over her shoulder.

"He says that girls are weak. To be protected as they can't protect themselves."

"Do you believe that?"

Ranma just chuckled a bit before answering. "No. Not since Shampoo kicked my ass even though I'm probably ten times stronger than she is now. Plus my girl side can bend metal likes its putty now. How is that weak?" Ranma went and sat down at the other console being careful not to touch any of the controls. "He can stay in China for a while. Cologne said she'd send him home to Japan if he showed up, so we can look for him there when we are looking for any of my relatives."

"You know Ranma, that's pretty well thought out for you. You have been paying attention." She said happily.

"I haven't been stuck with Pop's for the last month. You and Cologne have really helped me see how much rubbish his training really was. Heck even many of our 'Family' Techniques were taken from other family schools of martial arts." Ranma looked at her instead of the ocean passing below them. "I want to be a great martial artist. Not a thief of others schools."

"That's good. Hey there's Japan. I'll bring up a topographical map for you, touch the part of the screen you want me to fly towards." Shortly after that Shakeera pushed a couple of buttons and a satellites eye view of the Islands of Japan appeared above the console in front of Ranma.

"Whoa." Ranma said then started to concentrate on what he was seeing. "I've never seen it like this before." He said then touched a part that looked like it was near or even Tokyo itself. "I think that's where we need to go."

"Ok Hold on. We'll be there in a Jiff."

**Scene Break**

"Ranma, keep a lookout for a hill underneath a cliff or steep mountain side. It needs to be about the same dimensions as this ship." Shakeera said to Ranma as she concentrated on her ECM and ECCM station while the ship continued to fly low to the ground on autopilot.

"Why aren't you flying yourself?" Ranma asks as he's watching out of the view port for a hill that they could use for their purpose.

"Because, even though the technology on your planet is centuries behind this craft there are enough radar and lidar pings in the area to spot even a Silhouette craft that's cloaked." The four-armed girl said while tapping in a particularly complex algorithm into her keypad.

"What's a Silhouette?"

"They're a sneaky bunch. Control shadows they do. My cloak technology is nothing compared to theirs." Shakeera said.

"So, we're gonna be spotted." Ranma said as he turned back from the view port.

"That's not so, I'm pulsing directed jamming down the path of any detection stations that pick up our location. Hopefully it'll either confuse their computers, or confuse their technicians before they can pinpoint us."

**Scene Break**

At that moment inside a cramped compartment about fifteen feet long with about seven computer floor to ceiling consoles on one side and with a narrow walkway behind seven hardmounted seats that were occupied by five people wearing green military style flight suits with rank insignia on their collars. As they sat watching the data read outs on their screens a man walked behind them with a small clipboard and an earpiece radio hanging a cord around his neck.

"Sir, got something weird here." One of the military technicians said in English.

"Define weird Petty." The man walking up and down the narrow walkway said as he walked up behind the younger man who spoke up.

"Well, my radar is picking up everything fine from zero eight five degrees to three six zero degrees. But everything centering on bearing zero four two has blanked out."

"Jamming Petty?" 

"No Sir. Jamming has bleed over, should I light it up with a lidar pulse Sir?" The technician sitting down said.

"Not yet, lets circle around. Keep tabs on that sector, I'll be back in a second Petty."

A few minutes later the man had returned with an older looking gentleman wearing a similar flight suit but with two narrow silver bars on his collar. "So, what's the problem Ensign?" The man said to the Ensign who led him into the room.

"Lieutenant, we've got some sort of Jamming or technical problem. AW2 Jackson doesn't think it is jamming and wants to light it up with an active lidar pulse."

"Ensign Rooks, you know very well that we can't light off our lidar above Japanese soil just like that. Let me see that screen." The lieutenant said as he looked over the screen that showed the trouble. "Well, I'll radio the command. Looks like we got a new Jamming technology to deal with."

So the P-3 Orion continued circling the East Coast of Japan on its routine radar and telemetry patrol.

**Scene Break**

Ranma whistled as he stepped out of the ship onto the hard packed dirt below his feet. If not for the ships lights he knew that he would not be able to see anything in the artificial cavern that he stood in. Above the changed youth was a hard fused ceiling, looking nothing more than fire scorched earth and stone. But the scorch marks were to regular to be natural as they were in a semi-grid like fashion with larger marks that looked to be fused support struts.

Shakeera had vaporized the hill that Ranma had finally found for them about a half-hour ago. After she set down she then aimed the ships laser cannon and two armor piercing mini missiles at the cliff face that stood above the hill. After they had activated the ships shields and tractor beams they then collapsed the hill down onto them. Shakeera had then used low level laser beams from her turrets to fuse the rock and soil into a support grid to hold the dirt and debris several feet above the top of her ship, creating a cocoon like effect for them to hide their ship.

After Ranma had been outside of the ship for a little bit Shakeera called him back into the ship.

"Why do I need this?" Ranma said as he looked at the large pack that Shakeera handed him from the armory.

"Survival gear, and some back up equipment."

"So, how're we gonna get outta here?" The raven-haired boy asked to which Shakeera knocked him on the back of the head.

"Grammar Ranma. Stop speaking like a barbarian."

"Why are you so intent on that anyways?" Ranma said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Because, if I'm going to teach you anything, I'm going to teach you at least how to talk." Shakeera answered him as she strapped on her medium sized travel pack and slung her heavy plasma projector onto her should. "And we'll get out with this." She said as she grabbed another gun with a wide bore.

"What's that? Another plasma gun?"

"Nope. This is a sonic disrupter. I've modified it a bit to be a sonic drill. It'll make a small crawl way out of the hill, and collapse it after us so no one can stumble onto my ship. Shall we go?"

Once they were walking down a small path leading towards the lights of a distant town Ranma thought of something that had been bugging him a bit. He looked back at his pack noting it's not quite normal appearance, then he looked over at Shakeera and saw her walking, her four arms swinging slightly at her side and the shiny battle armor gleaming in the moonlit darkness.

"Umm... Shakeera?"

"Yes Ranma, what is it?"

"How do you plan on blending in? You don't look exactly human like that."

"You're not 'exactly human' either Ranma. But to answer your question. Like this." She said and touched a portion of her lower left armored bracer. It lit up in a small touch or holographic display and she punched in something on the small pad that appeared. Once done her hip holster, pack, and plasma ejector shimmered a bit then seemed to vanish. "There, hidden. Simple weapons and equipment cloak I picked up from the Nurani while I was in the Three Galaxies. Helps out a bunch." She then started to cast a spell, after several passes of her lower arms and a couple of intricate gestures from her upper hands her lower arms faded into nothing.

"And that?" Ranma asked incredibly, as he looked a girl that could very well be a carbon copy of his girl side.

"That is a disguise spell. Here, look at my ears." She said and held back a small portion of her hair.

"They aren't pointed. You look like a normal human now."

"Yeah, it's a disguise spell. Low level, low power. My other arms are still here, and if I do anything with them that affect things off of my person the spell is disrupted. But it's great to blend in."

"And what about your armor?"

She grinned at this and pressed another button on her upper right arm. The armor seemed to soften into a canvas like cloth, and turned olive green in color. Over her right breast a unit insignia appeared, and on her left sleeve and collars rank insignia appeared. She then put on a black beret and saluted him. "Lieutenant JG Shakeera Sonee' Reporting."

"You're Military?" Ranma asked agape as he saw her new look.

"Not earth military. CAF Intelligence branch detached on deep recognizance of the TransGalactic Empire." She said as she started walking towards the town again. "Haven't been able to make it back after my fiasco getting the Lightwar."

"Lightwar?"

"My ship, the CCS Lightwar. CCS-298 Lightwar, a modified Proctor Class long-range interceptor fighter. My original mission was to help reclaim it from the Kreegor, as well as get their experimental TransDimensional drive they were installing into it."

"Wait a minute. How old are you anyways?" Ranma asked suddenly suspicious as he looked at the young looking girl walking beside him.

"Hmm..? Oh, I'm twenty seven of your years."

"But you don't look like you could be a day over sixteen." Ranma said looking at her face.

"I'll probably look like this for the next two to three hundred years. That's when I enter full adulthood for my race. And if Cologne's not mistaken it will be the same for you."

"That might be a bit much for me to take right now." Ranma said then his expression lightened up quite a bit as he got an idea. "Say, you got any more of that armor? It seems to have some pretty good abilities."

"Yes, but you wouldn't want it."

"Why not?"

"Well, first, you'd need to be in girl form."

"That's not to bad after the month in the Amazon village."

"And second you'd either have to limp hanging arms, or if we removed it you'd be nearly flashing people the sides of your breasts."

"Huh?" He answered a bit dimly, as Ranma obviously didn't catch her drift.

Shakeera rolled her eyes a bit and pressed on a small panel near her collarbone. The front panel of her armor came slightly loose and she pulled it enough away that Ranma could tell that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Ranma just blushed deep red to that as Shakeera refastened her breastplate in place with a knowing grin.

**Scene Break**

Genma Saotome, Prince Herb of the Musk, and Herb's two loyal if dim vassals stepped off of a small boat that appeared to be a fishing trawler. The sandy shores of the beach they were on were cold and damp, and the light was the misty blue white of false dawn. All of them were in their natural forms at the moment, though Genma looked like he had recently poured some hot water over his head.

"We should head strait to Jusenkyo and start asking the locals near by where my son went." Genma said as he adjusted the carrying straps on his pack.

"Wouldn't it be better just to show up at one of the head Amazon Village's?" Mint said as if stating in such obviousness that the sky was normally blue.

Genma and Herb both looked at him as if he was daft. "And why would we want to do that?" Herb said imperiously to his retainer.

"Well, uh... Isn't Genma Ranma's father?" The clueless retainer said. "Then why would the Amazons keep his son from him?"

"Go on." Herb said to Mint.

"I mean, they're a female based society. Doesn't that mean that the father takes care of the kids?"

Genma had his hand to his chin as he added his own two bits. "So, then we show up and tell them that Ranma is my son, and they'll let me take him back... That's wonderful!"

"Wait Genma." Herb said in a commanding tone.

The overweight middle aged martial artist stopped and turned towards his benefactor. "Why? Times a wasting. The sooner we can get Ranma back, the sooner I can get back to the Tendo's."

"As Herb, Prince of the Musk Dynasty, I am in a period of hostility with the Amazon Nation." He then threw water from his canteen over his head. "But as a female traveling martial artist, I'm just another warrior they may accept in their territory." She readjusted her armor before turning to Mint and Lime. "You two. Go back to our lands, we don't need the Amazons connecting the Musk to Genma and myself right now. I'll come to get you after I have finished my business with Genma."

**Scene Break**

"Hey!"

"Hey what?" Ranma-chan asked from where she was walking next to Shakeera.

"I need to go in there." She answered and turned into a shop with various TV's, VCR's, and other electronic devices in the windows.

"Ok, but I dunno why." The red haired girl said. Shakeera just grinned and pulled out her pocket comp out of a small hip pouch. "Oh. That's right you need to get some info on my planets tech." Ranma-chan said in a self-obvious tone.

Shakeera just grinned a little bit more as she saw it wasn't just an electronics store, but an electronics repair supply store. "This'll give me a baseline to work from." She said then turned to face the other red haired girl. "Just distract the clerk for a few minutes. I don't want to be asked any questions about my gear." So saying she gave Ranma-chan a slight push towards the busy clerk before heading over to one of the parts shelves.

Several shelves later and only a few gigabytes of data filled, a disgruntled Shakeera decides to save her near twin lookalike. She sidled up next to Ranma-chan who was smiling and talking cutely with the clerk. At first Shakeera thought that Ranma might have been actually asking questions about the store, but seeing the semi glazed expression in her eyes she decided to listen in for a bit to find out what Ranma-chan had stirred up.

"So, my friend told me about that new American flick coming out soon." _"Yup, testosterone overload."_ Shakeera though to herself and walked up to stand next to Ranma-chan. Once the clerk realized he wasn't talking to just one cute red haired girl but two of them who looked near enough to be twins. "Hiya there, sorry we've gotta go." Shakeera said with a wink directed towards the clerk. After which she and Ranma-chan walked away leaving the clerk sitting there in hormonal bliss.

Outside of the store Shakeera giggled and poked Ranma-chan in the side. "What did you do girl?" She asked her friend with a mischievous grin.

Ranma-chan turned a bit red in embarrassment before answering. "You know I'm a guy." She said before continuing a bit less embarrassed. "I don't know, just walked up to him and said hi, and then asked him what there is to do around here."

Shakeera faked a wide-eyed look towards Ranma-chan. "You didn't!" She said in a mock conspiratory tone. "Oh this is great. You do know that he though you were asking him to ask you out."

"WHAT!" Ranma-chan yelled with her fists balled at her sides. "NO WAY!"

"Hush now. No need to yell, and calm down your feminine outrage."

"I'm not feminine." Ranma said as she turned around and folded her arms under her breasts in a pout.

Shakeera just grinned mischievously and held up her arm for a second and pushed a small button on her forearm bracer that she was still wearing. "Here, look at this." She said a moment later.

Ranma-chan obediently looked over Shakeera's shoulder at whatever the other girl was showing her. And then proceeded to blush and look away. "Do I really look like that?" She asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Is that the way others view me when I'm like this?" She asks in a subdued voice.

"Yes they do."

"I am feminine?" Ranma-chan asks in a fearful voice.

"Actually I don't think that's the case." Shakeera said in a thoughtful tone. "It's probably more that that's what you look like with the form of a girl."

"Huh?" Ranma-chan said and rubbed her temple in confusion.

"I mean that you do that as a guy too, but it looks masculine when you do it that way. So the posture translates through to your cursed form and makes you look like that." She said and pointed to the still picture she took with her armors mini cam that she had shown Ranma-chan. "Well, the cuteness is the same in both forms though." Shakeera continued with an impish grin and then took off running towards the apartment they were going to next.

"HEY!" Ranma-chan yelled and then took off after her partner.

**Scene Break**

Nodoka Saotome was walking through a shopping district close to where her office was at. She was currently dressed in a pair of black denim pants, black leather boots made for hiking or working, a white button up blouse of thick material, and a black leather jacket with hardened panels on the shoulders, back, and outer arms just like a heavy duty armored motorcycle riding jacket. Her clothes were form fitted to her body, as well as being very fashionable, if something more likely found in a science fiction movie rather than on a Japanese wife out to do some shopping. Her rust brown hair had been braided in a long braid that lay down her back.

The middle aged, but good looking woman stopped and was about to turn into a store when she caught a glimpse of red hair running on the other side of the street. Not having anything too pressing for her to do at the moment she decided to turn and see if she could see what had caught her peripheral vision.

What she saw nearly stopped her in her tracks. Across the street was a pair of red haired girls, one of them with her hair pulled back in a high pony tail dressed in a set of what could only be military surplus fatigues and the other one with her hair in a braid down her back wearing a blue Chinese tang and black silk pants. But what really caught her eye was the way both girls looked. Just like she did when she was a teenager. Hair color and everything.

After the two girls had run out of her line of sight Nodoka turned and entered the shop that she was standing next to. Once inside she went up to the sales lady behind the counter. "Bernice, you got my shipment?" She asked the lady who was slightly heavyset and seemed well worn by either the streets or by time.

"Ya, got it here 'Doka." The lady behind the counter said as she leaned down and pulled up a large crate about a half-meter wide and a quarter meter deep and a half-meter tall. "Don't know what a lady like yourself needs this junk for. But hey, I'm just the courier."

"Thanks Bernice, my last run took a bit more of my stores to complete than I thought it would." Nodoka said with a shrug. "Let me hail a cab then I'll take that with me."

**Scene Break**

Once the two running red haired girls managed to get outside of the district Shakeera nearly fell over with giggles. Ranma-chan poked her in the side ash she stood there slightly bent over. After a couple of pokes she realized something, though Shakeera's fatigues looked like cloth. They were most definitely her battle armor. So she went to plan b. 

"Hey, Shakeera." She said waiving a hand in front of the other red haired girl's face.

Shakeera sobered up a bit then stood up straighter. "Sorry about that Ranma." She said and wiped a tear from her left eye. "I haven't had fun like that in several years." The trans dimensional girl said quietly.

"Why?" Ranma-chan asked innocently as she looked into her friend's eyes.

"Because, I've been in one warzone or another for the last 10 years." She said as she turned slightly melancholy. "The last time I was able to just run and play was when I was a teenager living on my peoples adopted home world."

"But, you can't be more than 18." Ranma-chan said a bit surprised.

"Ranma, I'm 27 of your years old." Shakeera said as she sat down next to a fountain. She scooped a bit of the water up in her hand and chanted for a moment. Ranma-chan watched her and then the water in her hand, only realizing after a moment that there was much more water than there should be in the other girls hand, perhaps a full glass worth rather than a couple swallows worth. Once Shakeera was finished with her cantrip the water gained a slight reddish glow for but a second. Then Shakeera threw the small amount of water directly onto Ranma-chan's chest.

Ranma-chan felt the familiar tingle as she changed from a girl back into her male form. The now male Ranma stood there and looked down. "Why didn't you do that when I first got changed?" He asked.

"Because I didn't have any water at the time." Shakeera said and then grinned a bit. "Besides, you need to get a bit more comfortable as a girl."

"Why?" Ranma said with a bit of a whine.

"I don't know..." She said with a role of her eyes. "Probably because you're going to have that curse for a very long time. And in your other form, you are a girl. So you need to get used to it, maybe even grow to like it."

"I've already gotten used to it. You, Shampoo, and Elder Cologne saw to that."

"No, you've learned to fight in your girl form. But you're not used to it yet. We weren't in the Jokentetsu long enough to do that."

Ranma immediately caught her gist and turned beet red. "Cologne said that I wasn't a full girl, that I had been in girl form long enough for something to happen, and since it didn't that I wasn't a full girl."

"Actually, that would be true, if the magic hadn't merged with my nature." Shakeera said.

"What do you mean?"

"Cologne forgot to do one thing." She said vaguely.

"What's that."

"Ask me what my cycle was. If you are enough like me then you won't see anything for almost another year." She stated. "My race cycles once every year to two years. It's one of the reasons we have very few offspring and have to carefully guard our villages. My parents tried for fifty years to have me, and they don't know if they'll be able to have another child before I have one of my own."

"Uh, Shakeera... How old are your parents now?" Ranma-kun asked his companion.

"My mother is two hundred and twenty five. My father is one hundred and seventy two. They've been mates for the last eighty of your years."

"So, your race is very long lived."

"Your race as well Ranma. And unless I miss my guess, you'll be able to be what ever you choose in your relationship."

"Huh? Never mind. I don't wanna know right now." The pig tailed youth said and then acted as if he just remembered something. "Hey, no deflection. You're twenty eight?"

"Twenty seven Ranma. I'm twenty-seven, we've got to work on your memory outside of combat. Yes, my race reaches near adult hood at twelve of your years of age and then we're stuck in a sort of post adolescence like your later teen years for almost a hundred years. Then we gain our full adult growth, however no one of our race has aged a day past that in our two millennia of history."

"But, if you're so much older than me, why are you acting like a teenager?"

"Because Ranma, to my race I am a 'teenager.' We age slowly, and live thousands of years. So why wouldn't we have some time to be kids and not adults? I just got separated by youthful enthusiasm ten years ago and have been traveling the dimensions ever since trying to get back home. This planet is just a stop before I move on, it may be several months or even a few hundred years before I move again. But I probably will eventually. And so will you."

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked in a slightly fearful voice.

"I mean, don't get to close to anyone. You will out live them." She said looking directly into his eyes.

"That sucks!" Ranma said, "Can we change the subject?"

"Sure! Hey, here's the result of my scans in the electronics shop." Shakeera said and pulled out her pocket computer. She activated the display and the two of them watched as it spun up into several different graphs and words in a language that Ranma couldn't understand. "Unfortunately, if that shop is anything of a representation of the level of technology of this planet then I have at least a century to wait until the industry able to help me repair my craft is available. Of course it might be ready in as early as twenty years if I give it a couple miner pushes."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry Ranma. Just thinking outloud. Let's hurry over to that apartment we were looking at, we need to find out more of where you stand if we're going to have anything to do while I try to get my ship fixed."

**Scene Break**

Genma-Panda and Herb-chan were near the outskirts of the Jokentetsu village that Genma had visited on his last time in the area. They appeared to be having an end of summer celebration that evening. Though the specifics they didn't really know about.

"It's a good thing we left my retainers behind." Herb-chan said to no one inparticular.

#Why's That# Genma asked through the use of a sign.

"Because with all these women around, they wouldn't have controlled themselves. It would have been a disaster." The Musk Princess replied. "Come on, let's find one of their runners and make our request."

#Why do we need a runner# The next sign said.

"Because, the village Elders would not see a pair of travelers unless the proper protocol was to be followed." After Herb-chan finished Genma-Panda just grunted his agreance.

Once they got up to the edge of the village one of the village warrior maidens ran up to them and demanded their business. Herb-chan answered for them, both because Genma still didn't know Mandarin as well as because the middle aged martial artist would probably mess up this part of the protocol.

"We humble travelers wish an audience with one of the Village Elders young warrior. It is of pressing family business to the father of his lost son." Herb-chan said with a slight bow. Genma-panda just sat there, as he didn't understand a word of what was said, but he did behave himself as per his agreeance with his benefactor.

"You should follow me then outsider warrior. Be mindful of our laws, and do not insight our anger and all will be well." The warrior maiden replied to Herb-chan's request. The girl then turned and leapt back towards the village and set off a quick but not unfollowable pace towards somewhere on the other side of the village. Herb-chan and Genma-Panda followed about fifteen paces behind her as she sought out someone on their request. After a half round of the village she apparently found who she was looking for as she stopped near an old woman who was stirring a large stock pot of some strange but good smelling concoction.

The warrior and the Elder talked for but a moment when the Elder motioned towards Herb-chan in a beckoning manner. "Come forward young warrior." After Herb-chan and Genma-Panda came forward the Elder continued. "May I request the reason for your visit to the Jokentetsu?"

"We are searching for the missing son of my companion Honored Elder. My companions son was last seen leaving the vicinity of the Pools of Jusenkyo where he and his father had been cursed with the touch of the springs of sorrow." Herb-chan said in a respectful tone in Mandarin.

"And why would the newly cursed son be here then traveler?" The Elder asked in return.

"Because, the honored son of my companion was unconscious at the time and under the hospice of the Jokentetsu while in his cursed form."

"Oh, that would be the girl that Elder Koh Lon has been training. You say she is actually a boy?" The Elder said with a conspiratorial tone. "Well well, Koh Lon what a tangled weave you spin." She said to herself while stirring the pot again. Several moments pass while the Elder formulated what she wanted to say and just as Genma-Panda was about to raise a sign she continued. "I'm afraid that the youth has somehow been permanently cursed by the springs, she is now permanently a girl and changed beyond what would be considered human." The Elder said in a grave voice as she continued to sorrowfully stir her bubbling brew.

"Thank you honored Elder, could you be patient while I consult with my companion as he does not understand our hallowed tongue."

"Is your companion touched by the graces of Jusenkyo as well young one?" The Elder said while pointedly looking at Genma, to which Herb-chan nodded her head. "And is he of Japanese Decent?" Again the Musk Princess nodded her head. "Then I will repeat what I have said and continue our conversation in the foreign tongue." The Elder then switched from the local dialect of Mandarin that she had been speaking in to Japanese. "Foreigner from over the seas, your son has been here, but has been kissed by the blessing of Jusenkyo. She has been permanently changed by the cruel waters and may be beyond human in appearance now. I apologize for this."

Upon hearing this Genma-Panda starts to bark and growl something, Herb-chan and the Elder just waited till he ran out of steam before the Elder continued.

"What is worse Traveler, is that they have disappeared with the War Master who had helped them from the Pools of Jusenkyo. Two weeks ago they left on a training mission, and have yet to return. The Elder in question we believe has taken them to the country of their birth for reasons of her own. What is more, The Elder had made mention of the both of the two girls that she had adopted them into the tribe. That is not often done with outsider males, and with the mentions that she has made I believe that your son is no longer of the same manner he once was." She finished with a small theatrical lowering of the head.

Herb-chan wasn't fooled by the old woman's performance, but kept her mouth shut as she herself was familiar with an Elder's meddling. Though it was more of the Wisemen of his nation rather than the Matriarchs of the Jokentetsu and other Amazon tribes in the area. Genma-Panda motioned to Herb-chan in the way that they had established earlier to say that it was time to make camp. The Musk Princess correctly interpreted that Genma wanted to get away from the Village and turn back into a human so that they could discuss what they had learned.

A couple of hours later they were sitting around a campfire with Genma once more in his human form. "We have to go get Ranma." He said to Herb-kun who sat across from him.

"I do agree with you. But do not take the Elders word for gold. They are a duplicitous bunch and give information to suit their own needs."

"But if there is any chance that Ranma's been permanently cursed and is hunting down his mother, he would die." Genma said in all seriousness.

"And why would he die if he met his mother?"

"It all started ten years ago." Genma began.

**Scene Break**

"So Ranma, do you know where we can begin to find any of your family?" Shakeera asked. She was dressed in a set of blue jeans and a black tea shirt with a feminine jacket on over the combo. The jacket and her shoes didn't completely fit in with the rest of the styles around, especially since on the left breast there was a small screen that was currently dead. But Ranma and Shakeera had decided to use some of her own street clothes before getting any other clothes as they needed to sew in a lower pair of sleeves to anything they purchased for her even with her disguise spell to hide the lower two arms. Of course she was wearing her computer arm bracer on her left upper arm underneath the jacket sleeve.

Ranma-kun just sat there for a minute on the bench outside one of the city parks they were near. "You know, I have no idea."

"Let me guess, you thought to just wander some of the areas you might have been from and see if you bumped into someone you knew." Ranma just nodded his head simply. "Even though you don't even know what your mother looks like, and don't know her first or maiden name." He nodded his head again, but this time looking a touch abashed at her statement. "Why don't we check this planets info-net, I'm sure you've advanced that far with the shear number of computers I've seen." She looked around quickly to make sure no one was looking. Once she was sure the coast was clear she started typing quickly into her fore arm bracer's keypad. After a few moments she shut down the screen. "There, I've started an automated search from my pocket comp. It'll take a little while to figure out your countries protocols, but eventually we'll get something."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Ranma asked innocently from where he sat beside her.

"I've always wanted to see one of those old 2-D movies. My master in Dweomer used to rave on about them, and how they were so much better than the over graphical Tri-D flicks that relied on action and not plot or actual acting." She said excitedly as she grabbed Ranma-kun's hand and dragged him along behind her towards something that had caught her eye.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-kun was stepping out of the bathroom of the small one bedroom apartment that he and Shakeera had managed to secure. He was wet and had on only a pair of boxer shorts and was toweling his unbound hair down. Shakeera looked up from where she had set up her portable computer on the room's small desk and gave her companion a wolf whistle. "So Ranma, you ever decide to go for the 'Wet' look? You could make it big as a model." She said with a lecherous grin.

Ranma of course just blushed a bit and dashed back into the bathroom and returned out of it with his pants on and his Chinese shirt hastily being donned. "Shakeera, is there anything I should know about being part Rahu-Man?" He asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Shakeera asked with her head cocked slightly to the side.

"I mean besides the weird vision... and the.. uh.. well... " He stammered while twiddling his finger tips together. "Um... the well.. the..."

"You mean the yearly cycle that you'll probably see as a girl?" She said as she turned around to face him directly. The four-armed girl was dressed in a white tank top and her blue jeans from earlier. Her disguise spell was also dropped so that she could freely use her lower arms.

Ranma turned beat red again at the mention of that specific dilemma that he wasn't looking forward to. "I don't really know how to say this." He stated finally meeting her gaze.

"Then be blunt. Just say it. Blurt it out if you have to Ranma." She said in a frank tone.

"I keep noticing girls, and not just as people. It's never happened before like this." He said.

Shakeera just looked at him blankly for a second. "You're sixteen right?"

"Two weeks ago, but yeah. I'm sixteen. Why?" He asked.

"I'm no expert, but I've lived with humans for most of my life. And you should've been having that happen when you were twelve." She said.

"What do you mean, happen when I was twelve. What does this have to do with women?" Ranma had no clue what she was getting at. And considering that her face had just gotten a slightly concerned look to it he figured that it was more than a little important.

"Ranma, this is no joking matter. Did your father do anything to you when you were nine or ten years old?"

"Well, not really, there were some monasteries that we were visiting, and we learned a lot about meditation and pressure points then." He said while thinking back as best he could. "A few of them really hurt too."

"Did your father practice them on you, or was it the monks?" She asked getting a bit darker in her expression.

"My father of course, he wouldn't let any of the monks touch me, said something about them not knowing what was the best." Ranma said then stopped for a second. "Wait a minute, did he do something to me?"

Shakeera just looked at him for a second. She had heard a bit about Ranma's father as they had traveled the last month or so. Her opinion of the man was of two minds. To her it was obvious that Ranma's father did indeed care for his son, but she felt that the man was perhaps a bit to overzealous in his training and view points for his own good. "Ranma, what was your fathers view on women, and their place in training."

"Oh, that's an easy one. Pop's always hammered into me that women were nothing more than a distraction to the art. Cologne and the Jokentetsu helped change that, and if they hadn't then you definitely would have." Ranma said as he sat down and started to braid his hair.

The four-armed girl just sat there shaking her head for a bit. "Ranma, I've seen many cultures that stunt the sexuality of their warrior youths to turn into aggression and power."

Ranma scratched his head in confusion. "But why would Pop's do that?" He said.

"Because Ranma." Shakeera began as she put her two lower hands on her thighs and rested her upper arms beside her on the chair backrest. "He wanted the best, and he probably knew that if he turned your hormones off that you'd be able to focus that same energy into something that he could control better."

"That sucks."

"Yep it does. So what're you going to do now?" Shakeera said simply as she leaned back into her chair.

"Don't really know." The youth answered. "But why is it suddenly changing now?"

:"Probably because the pressure points don't work in on you now."

"Huh?" Ranma stated lamely.

"You're no longer human, remember?" Shakeera blew a lock of hair up off of her brow with her breath. She knew that Ranma was smart, but sometimes his cluelessness was a bit annoying. "Ranma, you're part Rahu-man, part elf, part dragon, and perhaps something else. It's probably only just now starting up because you haven't fought or done anything more than basic training for the last week. So you're bodies just now starting to reset."

Behind the miniature Rahu-man the computer bleeped twice. "Hey, it's done." Shakeera said and turned around. "We can leave the question about your sexuality and sex drive for another time. By the way, you've got the floor tonight and no getting frisky."

"What! Why do I have to sleep on the floor, and what does anything have to do with my being frisky?" He asked in a slightly disgruntled tone.

"Nevermind. My first inquiries just came back with the properly attachments." She started to type away and brought out an extra holo imager and placed it beside her first computer. After angling it so that Ranma would be able to read the text she started to bring up several different files. "I did a search for all the Saotome family registries in Japan and surrounding island chains. Using your's and your fathers names. I also had it cross index against missing or unknown where about of either you or Genma or both." She continued typing for a bit. "That's odd."

"What's odd."

"Well, the people of your planet must be stupidly paranoid." Shakeera said then saw his confused expression so she decided to elaborate a bit. "There are some incredibly complicated anti-hacker programs on this information network, but it seems that everything of import is on this world wide network. All anyone would need is a semi decent computer and a good understanding of computer code and it'd be all open to them. As I said, stupidly paranoid." She shook her head again and continued on her original conversation. "So anyway, found three different registries that may be yours. Ok, here's the conundrum though. The first registry lists a Ranma and Genma Saotome, but they've only been missing for four years. There is also a Genkhi and Ranmai but that one looks completely out, as the names are only similar. Both of them are listed as missing though. And the third one was a just in case file the computer flagged, as the names didn't really match, but the wife had listed her husband and son missing twelve years ago."

"So which one are we going to look at?" Ranma asked as he tried to decipher what he was looking at on the holo screen.

"The one listing you and Genma missing as of four years ago. It says here that a woman named Nodoka is the wife and she has been searching for eight years for her missing husband and son, but it only became official four years ago."

**Scene Break**

Nodoka sat in one of her formal kimono's, and was once again in the outdoor cafe near her home that she liked to have informal meetings at. She looked across from her to the well-dressed gentleman who sat opposite at the table. "I wasn't expecting to see you quite so soon Mr. Mashanikai, what do I owe this pleasure to?" She asked before taking a delicate sip of the tea that was sitting in front of her.

The lawyer placed his briefcase on the table in front of him and popped its latches. After retrieving a few pieces of paper he closed the leather case and placed it beside him on the ground. "Saotome-san, late last night my lawfirm had a hacker incursion into our database." He pushed one of the pieces of paper in front of Nodoka. "This is a record of the files that were hit. I you'll notice, about a third of the page down highlighted in yellow is a file listed in your name. Our resident computer crew tried to trace the hackers actions and location but were unable to determine their location, but we were able to trace out what they were doing."

"And what were they doing Mr. Mashanikai?" Nodoka asked calmly, her expression stating that it would behoove him to come to his point and stop wasting both of their time.

"That the hacker was searching through secure online databases searching for either you or your family. This was an incursion of one of the highest levels of skill. But nothing was damaged, or erased. Only looked at or copied, as your file was one of the main ones accessed that our firm over looks we decided to bring it to your attention. Especially as this is the first time that someone has looked into the data in this nature to the best of our knowledge." After he finished his basic overview he placed the papers into his briefcase again. "Frankly Saotome-san. We're befuddled. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you might be able to tell us if you had a friend or enemy with this capability. The Hacker breezed by our firewalls and security programs as if they weren't there. But none of the high security data was even accessed. Only clan registries and records concerning your missing husband and son. Not even the Americans in their Silicon Valley are able to compromise our systems that readily, and without using massive amounts of viruses and worms to do the job. So whoever it is, is most definitely interested in either you or one of the few other clans of Saotome that have either the husband, son, or a combination of both missing."

"So you're saying that something's happened to upset the old status quo, and that someone with some high technology or skill may or may not be friendly but is definitely interested in my clan. Thank you Mr. Mashanikai. I'll take this information and mull over it for the next while." Nodoka stood up and bowed to her lawyer and turned to leave. He sat there watching her leave for a bit before collecting his things and leaving some yen on the table to pay for their tea.

**Scene Break**

"Where are they?" Herb-kun said as he and Genma Saotome traveled up the same mountain path leading into the lands of the Musk. They had been up there for a couple of days, but they had encountered no one for the entire time that they had been traveling in the lands of the Musk.

Genma patted Herb on the back lightly; the Musk prince glowered at him before continuing on.

A day or so later they rounded a corner to see an ancient stone keep built into the mountain. Genma was about to proclaim something then held his tongue as he took in the state of the castle that he had been a guest at last time he had been in this part of China.

The walls were crumbled, and decayed. Trees growing to closely to them, many of which roots were starting to crumble the foundations of the fortifications. Only one of the five turrets was still standing, and it looked like it would crumble and fall in only a stiff breeze or rainfall. The most damning evidence of decay though was the great gate that used to be able to be barred in times of war. The left gate was just plain not there, but appeared to have been scavenged. The gate on the right was there, but fallen off of the great iron hinges and was leaning against the far wall, its great ten meter height slumped in obvious decay and the Dragon motif on it no longer visible except in perhaps the vaguest of details.

Herb just stood there in shock as he took in the ruin of his nation. "What has befallen here?" He asked quietly. His armor and cloak almost mocking the fallen nation that they now stood in. "WHY!" He screamed out loud.

Genma was about to enter the castle to find out more when they both heard a quiet coughing behind them. They both turned around and saw a farmer that had walked up from a nearby house that wasn't visible until you had past it.

The farmer looked at the two of them, then looked over Herb in his ceremonial armor and royal vestments before he bowed low to the ground on both of his knees. "Oh Prince of the Musk. Long have we waited for your return." The aged farmer said from his position on the ground.

"What has happened her farmer of this land." Herb asked mandarin.

"Sire, long ago the Prince of this Kingdome had vanished with no heirs, and only his retainers had returned. His vassals and retainers searched the land far and wide, and further still to the land of the merciless warriors from across the sea. But none found any trace of the last Prince of the Dragon line." He said from his position on the ground. "But eventually even the line of the Tiger gave up and turned to trying to keep their people alive, but passed down a prophesy so that if one day there were to be salvation of our Dynasty then the rightful ruler of our land would return."

"And what is that prophecy good man." Herb asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"That five hundred years in the future our prince will save our Kingdome from ruin five hundred years in the past. And that to save our land the once past Prince of the Dragons would travel five hundred years towards his own future to save his land in the past."

Herb stood there in thought for but a moment before he turned towards the farmer. "How would you know of such a thing, that was not spoken like a normal pheasant working the land, but as a line of warriors. Speak man, what is your line. From what beast do you hail from."

"I am from the line of the Tiger, though our line has become dilute over the passing of the centuries." The farmer said proudly and then seemed to remember something. "Come, Sire, come. There is something that you must see, it has been passed down my line since the days when last you were here." The farmer turned and led the way back to his farmstead. While they were walking Prince Herb filled in Genma on the prophecy and what the farmer had relayed.

Once they were inside of the old farmhouse the aged farmer pulled up a trap door in the ground and then lit a small oil lantern before descending an old but sturdy wooden ladder. They descended quickly after him and then saw a horde of dusty and worn weaponry and armors. Including a Tiger's hide and pelt armor on an armor rack, carefully oiled and maintained.

"That looks just like-" Genma started before Herb elbowed him in the side with a withering look.

"Silence Genma, I would hear the full story from this farmer before you add your ten yen to the conversation." He replied tersely in Japanese.

The Farmer went to a far wall where there was an oiled leather cover over something that must either be a doorway or a large portrait. He reverently pulled the canvas off of what it was covering. Beneath the leather was an obviously old painting, the brushstrokes nearly invisible, and the color work though faded done of pure genius. Everything about the painting was well done. But that was not what took Herb's and Genma's breath away. What took their breath away was the fact that it was a portrait of Herb in the same ceremonial armor that he wore right now, and other than the slightly older look to the man in the painting it was a dead match for the present Prince of the Musk Dynasty.

**End Chapter**

Author's Notes.

Sorry about the delay of several months. Life does happen every now and then.

Ok, I don't have to much to say here as most of everything that I had been polling or otherwise stopped coming in a few months ago. As such I'm starting some new things. My next chapter is outlined, and already started in it's writing. This will be posted on and the Ranchan and Company Crossing Bridges website.

If anyone wishes to corrispond with me please feel free to email me, the email address is in my profile, or in the Email Author link in the Ranchan Crossing Bridges page.

I hope to have the next chapter out before the middle of October 2005.

Until then, Thanks for reading and I hope that you're enjoying this work of fiction.

Ja Ne,

Enlu Tarsonis


	8. Chapter 8 Meeting with Nodoka

A Different Type of Visitor (ADTOV) Chapter 08

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Hope everyone liked the interlude. If you didn't, sorry but I needed it to move some of the side storylines along. After all, it's not just Ranma and Shakeera. But all of the cast that makes a story great. So I needed to do some development of the other characters, especially those who I've either changed, or redirected. Otherwise you'd just have another OOC fic without any of the character development to justify their being OOC.

I would like to take a few moments to share some of my reviews, and to thank my reviewers personally as their encouragement has helped keep my muse going and keep me motivated in my writings. As well as to answer a few of the questions or comments that have arisen in the reviews. 6, signed A good chapter that introduces a really interesting twist... Herb x Akane... Can't say I've seen THIS pairing before. Can be quite nice 

Thanks Pheonix, an idea I got as it's rare to see an Herb x anyone in a fanfiction

_CatOnFire__  
2005-08-08  
ch 5, signed While I love your story (Ranma/Rifts crossovers rule) I find the erasing of Ranma's humanity a bit much (I've always been a pro-human Ranma) and feel that you should leave Ranma at least half human in male form. But I'm sure either way it will be good._

Oh and don't have Ranma learn techniques too quickly. Plus don't fall into the trap where Ranma mostly uses powerful and flashy moves exclusively, if I wanted to read a Dragonball Z fic I would have.

Actually CatOnFire, Ranma's part human in both forms. You think that Cologne get's everything right? As for Ranma learning techniques quickly. Didn't it take him five full days to learn the Kachu Tenshin Ameguriken? I'm using that and the Hiryo Shoten Ha as baselines for how quickly he learns techniques. Also one other note, Ranma never really learns the techniques flawlessly, especially if he's in a hurry.

_Hiryo__  
2005-08-11  
ch 6, signed Herb is as large if not larger as Ranma in his girl form. _

Sorry I didn't guess which series you 'fused' Nododa with . . . but that's fate. In the original Herb asked Cologne where the Openlock bucket is. I wonder how you manage that. I also wait when Akane will be informed of him being her fiancee. That is if you decide do let her in her dreamworld 'of ignorance is bliss' of not knowing that.

Did I actually give a size comparison for Herb-Chan? Sorry if I did. She's about 5'6" 5'7" in female form. Ranma-chan is about 5' nothin. So sorry for the misunderstanding. If you guys noticed, I never went into the finding of the OpenWater bucket. I want two storylines, but do not want to overshadow Ranma and Shakeera's story with Herb's and Genma's. Don't worry though, I'm trying to wring the embarressment factor of Herb's engagement to Akane for all it's worth, both to teach the girl a lesson and increase the angst factor. Course as I've re-read most of the Manga prior to storylining this fanfiction I have come to the conclusion that Akane is the same if not more so than Ukyo and Shampoo in the dreamworld business.

_Innortal__  
2005-09-19  
ch 7, signed Damn, hope you explain that last one, like what the hell happened to them._

Great work, and looking forward to more, and the weird dichotomy of Nodoka.

Innortal

Thanks Innortal, and I like your works also. I've got some interesting things planned around Nodoka and hope that I get through book 3 in a timely manner as there will be much with her in that book.

As for the last bit... That's a secret for 7, signed A great chapter! You weave a really interesting story, you know I really hope your muse won't leave you and that the quality of the chapters will be preserved.  
P.S. Are you planning to pair Ranma and Shakeera?  
P.P.S. Having two parallel plotlines requires lots of work - and you are doing this really well!

Thanks for another review. I'm working on the quality of chapters, as well as keeping their length as long as I'm keeping them. That's one reason I sometimes don't post very quickly. Please bare with me on that point.

Ranma and Shakeera? Not sure, wouldn't it be a bit Cliche'. Of course it would fit as the whole friends leading to something more. And you're right two parallel plotlines are very hard to maintain. Even more so I don't have just two. Here's a basic list of the plot lines to follow, I'll just list the characters that are affected so as not to give my story away before it is time: Ranma and Shakeera. Akane and Herb. Herb and Genma. Nodoka, Ranma and Shakeera. Mint and Lime. Musk Kingdome and Warchilde(Not yet introduced). Nabiki and Shakeera. Ranma and Nabiki. Ranma, Nabiki, Akane, and Shakeera. Shakeera, Ranma and Herb. Ranma, Shakeera, Herb, and Genma.

Get the drift? I've got overall plot lines involving all of these characters in those combinations. There's actually about 12 more that get more convoluted. In fact I've been using Concept Draw(R) to keep them all strait in conjunction to the others. Dang program cost me $250 US, but was worth every penny. So please keep rootin me on as I'll be continueing to keep the convoluted but hopefully well written plot lines developing.

_Jerry Unipeg__  
2005-09-19  
ch 1, signed Great start._

_GREAT CHAPTER! Nice change to the time line._

_GREAT CHAPTER! She awaking!_

_GREAT CHAPTER! So, that what they falling into._

_I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! Nice to see Ranma with a true master in traning._

_GREAT CHAPTER! I love the all of the chapter._

_GREAT CHAPTER! I am looking forward when Ranma and Nodoka meet face to face._

Ok I recieved all of these today, thanks for the pats on the back. I'm now writing the chapter, hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the last 7. And yes, Ranma and Nodoka should meet face to face sometime in the near future.

To these other author/reviewers: Hiryo, Ranger5, Innortal, Calamite, Gangsta Spanksta, Iceland, CatOnFire, RubberNeck, DerektheRogue. Thanks for the reviews. in another 5 or 6 chapters I'll be doing another review commentary and reply. Sooner if I get a large amount of requests.

Now on with the fic.

Chapter 08

She felt the rhythm of the world. Beating in tune with her heart, as well as with the droplets of sweat that beaded on her brow only to be flung free with every quick movement of her revolution through the space inside her room as well as inside her mind. Though her eyes were closed, the martial woman could see in her minds eye the firing arcs that her hands faced if they truly held guns. Her feet slapped the ground in perfect eighteen to forty-five degree angles, stepping in such a way so as to set her torso and then her arms into position to fire upon any enemy before it had a chance to fire upon her. She was lining her left arm up for her fifteenth shot when she was pulled roughly from her meditative kata by the ringing of her house phone.

"God Bless it. Every time, I swear!" She grumbled to herself as she opened her eyes and took off into the house to answer the phone.

Nodoka Saotome quickly wiped her brow with the small white terrycloth towel she had grabbed on the way into the house, on the fifth ring of the phone she managed to pick it up. "Hello? Saotome Residence." She hastily answered before she even had a chance to regain her breath.

On the other end she heard a young woman's voice speaking an almost too flawless dialect of Japanese. Is Saotome Nodoka there? The young woman asked.

"This is she, may I enquire as to why you are calling me?" Nodoka answered, still trying to regain her breath.

I would inquire as to whether you have a husband by the name of Genma and a son by the name of Ranma.

Nodoka raised her eyebrow, as this was not a phone call she was not expecting. "Yes I do, however they have not been here in several years." Nodoka finally caught her breath, and with it a bit more clarity of thought. "Would you tell me your interest in them?" She asked politely.

I would be delighted to. I have met your son- The girl managed to get out before Nodoka interrupted.

"YOU HAVE! IS HE ALRIGHT!" She yelled before realized how she must have sounded. "Sorry about that."

No Problem. Ranma's all right, though I don't know about Genma. The voice answered.

"He's not with Genma? What happened?" Nodoka asked starting to get a bit worried.

That's a long story Mrs. Saotome, and one that I'd rather answer in person than over the phone. Ranma is here, but we would like to meet with you first instead of over the phone. Is there a place near to your residence that we can meet up?

Nodoka's eyes lit up with probably the first true hope and joy she had felt in a long time. "Can it be this afternoon? Is that too soon?" She asked.

No this afternoon's great. Give me a location and we'll be there.

**Scene Break**

"Kuno-Baby, by your own rules she is now taken. Why are you insisting on the morning fights still?" Nabiki asked the self proclaimed Shooting Star of Furinken High who sat across from her in the private booth of the local eatery that she liked to do business at. "Did you not proclaim that anyone who could Defeat Akane would be able to Date her?"

The elder Kuno sibling looked back at his intellectual foe and considered her words at great length before bestowing his own wisdom upon her. "That I did mercenary one. Though I have yet to see this so called 'Prince' that has defeated the Tigress of Battle that is your sister. Until I have seen his prowess first hand there shall be no relenting of the worthy masses of our hallowed learning establishment." Tatewaki continued to look at his opponent and saw that she was near to acquiescing to his better judgment.

Nabiki meanwhile was sitting there wondering how a person could not just be so dense, but also be so aggravating and self-righteous. "Kuno, you do realize that if you pursue Akane any further that she may hurt you in retaliation?" She said, trying to at least get him to back off on the physical affronts to her younger sister.

Days earlier Akane had come storming home as the Hentai horde had expanded their morning ritual to include an after school variant to it. Nabiki was happy to allow the morning version to continue as it was good stress relief for her younger sister she thought, as well as it funded the betting pool greatly and kept the dips of guys from asking other girls out leaving only the very best choices free for the women of Furinken. If not for that she might have personally shut it down ages ago. But recently they had been getting a harder edge to it and now an underlining fear was present in Akane's action, and that fear was what had galvanized Nabiki into action. Especially as her younger sisters fiancée had yet to return from wherever he had disappeared to with her father's friend Saotome Genma.

To make matters worse somehow a rumor had started at school about Akane dating a Prince from a far away land. And even though Nabiki knew the truth about the whole thing, she wasn't the one who started the rumor and to make matters worse the mercenary girl had no real clue as to who did.

Nabiki turned her attention back to the Buffoon at hand. "Kuno, ne Tatewaki. Please at least have your underclassmen at least honorably challenge Akane rather than attacking her in a mob, for that is the way of the Samurai is it not?" She added quickly as she realized that the only way to get Kuno to do anything was to hammer in on his delusions rather than just try to reason with him.

"I will ponder your words at length Tendo Nabiki. Till next we meet." Kuno said as he stood up and walked away in his normal and more than slightly imperious manner.

**Scene Break**

While Nabiki was trying to talk some sense into the elder Kuno sibling, Soun Tendo was sitting on the porch of the Tendo house looking at a small picture. On the picture could be seen a young looking woman wearing a kimono sitting on her knees underneath a cherry tree, the blossoms of the flowers falling down around her as she smiled serenely into the camera in such a way that no matter what angle you looked at the picture from it would appear that the woman was looking strait into your eyes.

"Kimiko..." Soun started, his eyes starting to tear up a little. "It's been so long Kimiko. But our family is finally growing up. I am so proud of them. I so wish that you could be here." He said to the photo before he was wrought over by a choking sob.

"Your favorite daughter has finally come out of her shell, she has been such a help keeping our estate together. I don't know what I would have done without all three of our darling daughters, but it was her that I regret leaning the hardest on." Soun wiped a tear from his eyes as he remembers the day so many years ago, shortly after his wife Kimiko Tendo had died. He had been sitting down at the kitchen table, bills and forms lying out in front of him. His face not shaved for days, and his hair a tangled mess. He had been just sitting there gazing at the chaotic mass of papers for many hours, then when he was about to just go outside and drink some more in frustration he heard his daughters come home from school.

Akane as usual just went into the dojo and started to yell out in her own lessons in the family system of martial arts. And Kasumi, dear Kasumi, had gone into the kitchen quickly to get something ready for their dinner. But he felt a tugging on his sleeve before he had a chance to get up. Looking down he saw little nine-year-old Nabiki holding up one of the papers and pushing it towards him. "Not now 'Biki, Daddy has to think for a bit." But she tugged on his sleeve again and pushed the paper in front of his face again. Soun decided to at least humor the girl and see what she had drawn in school, or what grade she had managed to achieve. Instead he saw a nearly completed form requesting state aid. The Kanji on it was neat, if not quite right. And as far as he could see there was only his signature required to finish the form.

"Wha..? Where did you get this Nabiki?" He asked concerned.

"From the school Daddy. I ask teacher, and he took me to see the principal. The Principal was nice and told me to talk to someone on the phone. That person told me where to find this form and I figured out what to do with it." She looked at the papers on the table then back up at her father. "Daddy? Do we have enough money? Is that what's wrong?" The little girl asked.

Soun felt his heart nearly breaking again as his middle daughter cut one of their problems so true to the quick. "Sweetie, we will have enough. Now why don't you sit down here with Daddy and show me what this form says." Soun asked her and patted his left leg. The middle Tendo sister clamored up onto her father's knee and then started to prattle off about the different area's of the form and what they meant.

After that memory finished Soun came back to himself and looked down at the photo, hearing Kasumi prattling around in the kitchen again he looked out at the yard, then back down at the picture and then over into the kitchen. "Maybe... Maybe it's time for me to come out of my shell as well." He said to no one in particular.

**Scene Break**

Ranma looked over at his red haired companion from where he sat in the outdoor cafe that his mother had directed them to. Shakeera was dressed in a pair of feminine cut tan business slacks the waist down to the lower thighs was very tight and form fitting, leaving the legs just above the knee with loose cloth that actually accentuated her thighs and when she was standing upright her butt. She also wore a chocolate silk looking blouse with a slight frill around the neck line that allowed for the fact that she had a generous bust, but actually kept it from being the center of a persons view. Instead the effect drew a persons eyes to the trans dimensional travelers eyes. Of course her disguise spell was active, they really didn't need to have people freaking out about a four-armed person wandering about.

He then looked down at himself and started to feel a bit under dressed next to his companion. Especially as he was dressed in his near ever-present silk Chinese tang with his black forearm bracers on and a pair of black draw string pants as well as his adjustable black silk slippers. If not for his curse and the radical change in size he went through every time he might be able to get a better unisex outfit that looked good on both of his forms, but he figured it was best not to tempt fate by wearing something that was solely one gender or another.

Suffice it to say, both of them were a touch nervous. Ranma as he had not met his mother in over a decade, and Shakeera as she was empathic and Ranma's almost over strong emotions were setting her off as well. He was just about to bolt again when he saw a woman walking up to their table looking just like a slightly older version of his female form, the two major differences was the woman's height and her hair was not fire engine red but rather a deep rust auburn.

The woman stopped directly in front of the two of them with a happy glint and a tear in her eye. Before Ranma could stand up or Shakeera ask her if the lady was Nodoka Saotome, she lunged forward and grabbed Ranma into one of the strongest hugs he had ever endured in his life. "Wai..UGH" He struggled to get out.

Lucky for him Shakeera came to his rescue. "Umm.. Mrs. Saotome, you might want to let your son breathe." She said laying one of her hands on Nodoka's shoulder gently. "Please, Ma'am. He'll still be here, I promise." Shakeera said with a pleasant grin on her face.

Nodoka pulled back slightly from her son, but kept her hands on his shoulders and looked at him very happy to be reunited with her lost son. "Ranma... Thank God you're alright." She said. Then Nodoka turned to Shakeera and as she released Ranma she went into a formal bow. "I thank you for the boon that you have done me. Is there any way that the Saotome Clan can repay you for your service?" She said and came out of the bow.

Ranma just sat there with his hand behind his head blushing a bit as Shakeera shook her head minutely a couple of times. "Mrs. Saotome, there is no debt. Your son Ranma has helped me to adapt to your land and it is I who am in debt to him. I would wish to travel with him for a time and to teach him all that I know in certain subjects before I part ways with your family." She said formally.

"Teach?" Nodoka started, "But you're so young, what would you be teaching my son?" She said.

"Mrs. Saotome, I am 27 years old. And am considered a journeyman in several fields and a master in several others. Not least of which is quantum mathematics, and singularity research. I only look young, please be assured that I am anything but." Shakeera said with an heir of authority. "As well though your husband succeeded in making Ranma one of the premiere martial artists of this age, he has neglected much of his scholastic training. It is one of the things that I hope to remedy, but would we be able to talk about this in a more secluded environ? I do not wish to share all of my secrets with the world at large."

Ranma just looked at his friend for a moment, eyes a little bit large and expression a little bit dazed. Internally he was a bit seized up as he knew much about his friend and her capabilities, but he didn't expect her to be this hard charging and intelligent in dealing with adults.

Nodoka though had a slightly dazed expression for another reason. Her son had this woman as a traveling companion, and apparently as a tutor as well. "Miss, I am thankful that you have taken it upon yourself to help out my son. May we continue this in the Saotome residence? I would be delighted to hear more of your story and to find out more about my son's journey." She then turned back to Ranma and her eyes got big and tearful again. "RANMA!" She squealed out and pulled him into another bear hug.

"UNGH!"

**Scene Break**

In the wilderness, on top of a new mudslide somewhere to the South East of Tokyo, a lightning bolt hit the ground from the clear evening sky. However this wasn't a normal lightning bolt as it stayed there, twisting and writhing around like a giant snake whose tail retreated into the heavens. Blue white ethereal whisps started to flow down the length of the bolt, pooling around the dancing base of the supercharged electrical phenomenon. After a few moments the bolt started to widen around the base, and the split from the ground upwards to almost four meters above the ground.

Daylight could be seen through the portal that had just opened up, as well odd-looking trees and some buildings that were not part of the forested landscape around which the strange bolt from the heavens opened up. After the bolt stabilized a bit a figure could be seen walking through the dimensional portal.

He wore a set of tan and black armor with severe shoulder guards made in such a way so as to protect his arms and shoulders from any attack from above. The plates on his torso were molded to a strong human physique and consisted of overlapping material of a pseudo plastic ceramic material. He also had forearm guards and shin guards that terminated into boots of the same tan and black armored material. In between covering his upper arms and upper legs was a black streaked with tan heavy cloth vaguely reminiscent of Kevlar or super heavy canvas by the way that it moved.

But the most alien part about this being was the visible portions of his body. Specifically his neck, head, and hair. His skin consisted of a charcoal black, that almost seemed either blue or gray in turns. His hair seemed to be almost a living corona of fire that although it moved around as such it gave no light other than what was reflected through its red gold's and orange hues. But his eyes were perhaps the most alien portion of his body, as they were pure black pits with small golden motes that seemed to emit a glow of their own. The various little pinpricks of golden light were moving in a nearly stellar pattern across the black scape of the orbs that made up his eyes.

Over one of his eyes and leading around to the back of his head was a technological visor of indeterminate origin with a red crystal screen that covered his left eye. He looked into the screen, and watched as a basic geographical map overlaid the landscape around him. He turned his head to look in an arc leading to the North West and after several moments a small ovoid with an unknown language written underneath it flashed briefly several times before disappearing.

The being looked towards where the blinking light was and grinned in a almost horrid way showing absolutely no teeth as his lips remained pressed tightly together. A throaty chuckle emanated from him as a black corona of power winked into existence around him and he leapt into the air.

Only to fall back down to the ground with a low groan. The black corona of power flickering in and out of existence until it completely dissipated and the being frowned darkly then set off on foot towards the North East instead of flying.

**Scene Break**

Princess Herb of the Musk Dynasty looked over to her also sodden companion as they walked along the worn game path out of her now ruined Kingdome. They were on their way towards Jusenkyo as a first stop on their way towards Japan. Though Herb-chan dearly wanted much of the writing that was on the well-preserved and protected painting that they carried with them, she was not nearly so desperate to request the aid of the tribes of the Jokentetsu.

Her main reason to try to keep the painting away from them was the fact that though she may be accepted as a woman, she knew the first things that they would do if they discovered that she was actually the Prince of the Musk and not the Princess was to imprison her.

So she and her Pandafied companion continued their sojourn towards Jusenkyo and then to Japan to recoup and plan. At least if they could find son Ranma then she could finally pursue Akane to be her queen. If for no other reason than to restart the Line of Dragons and a new Musk Dynasty.

**Scene Break**

Nodoka opened the gates to her families home, and led the way towards the front entrance to the Saotome house all the while steeling glances back at her prodigal son and his young looking companion.

Once they stepped into the entrance hall to her home and had shut the door Nodoka turned around to face the other two people in the room.

Nodoka was about to speak when Shakeera beat her to it. "Mrs. Saotome, Nodoka. Do you believe in Magic?"

At first the Saotome Matriarch did not know what to make out of the bizarre question, so she decided to just be as frank as possible. "I'd be stupid not to. I've seen to much to believe that science has all the answers." She answered to the younger woman.

Shakeera just shakes her head a little before she continued. "Not like parlor tricks, or simple spells. Also not anything invisible. But real, down to earth, physical Magic." She replied. When Nodoka nodded her head in a continue type of motion the disguised girl did. "Nodoka, I hope that you are as open minded as you seem, please watch closely as I release the holds on a spell that I maintain so as not to engender panic in the populace of your planet." 

Nodoka looked at the other girl as if she had grown a second head, or even a second set of arms. Unfortunately for Ranma's mother, that was just what Shakeera had done. Grown a second set of arms. Well not really grown. More like they faded into existence. A second set of arms, starting just under the armpits of her upper set. The finely tailored blouse showing the extra set of sleeves nicely as if they had always been there, and Shakeera's face gaining an almost Elvin cast to it as both her eyes elongated a little and her features themselves sharpened.

Shakeera was about to start into a speech that she had prepared last night. But was unprepared for what happened next. Nodoka Saotome, her friends mother and by all reason looked to be able to handle the truth, had slashed out with a silvered dagger that she had managed to retrieve from somewhere unseen.

Only Shakeera's innate Sixth Sense had warned her in time to bring up her arms before the dagger would have nicked her jugular or related area of her neck. Cursing herself for not wearing her bracers as she felt the knife cut a shallow furrow in her upper right forearm. Before she could call up any of her own powers or counter attack herself though Ranma had jumped forward and was holding the knifes blade in-between the thumb and middle finger of his left hand. He slowly forced Nodoka away from his friend and watched as reasoning returned to his mother's eyes.

"Mom?" Ranma asked quietly.

Nodoka meanwhile just looked at Shakeera and noticed that she was just sitting there and stemming the blood pouring out of her forearm rather than attacking. "Really, Mrs. Saotome." She said to the now calm Nodoka. "I'm not a demon. And Silver does not aggravate my wounds." She said and showed the forearm and how the flesh was now starting to seal itself back up.

"Why did you attack my friend Mother?" Ranma asked her again, he still held on to the dagger, then let go of it to allow his mother some time to recover the rest of the way.

"I am sorry about that Shakeera, and Ranma. I did not mean for you to see that." She looked down at the dagger in her hand and noticed that it was now warped around where Ranma's fingertips had held it. She looked up at Ranma then and back down at the dagger. "Ranma? What happened to you?" She asked.

"What do you mean Mother?" The young man answered, unsure of what he should say or do at this point.

Nodoka held up the dagger so that Ranma could see the blade. "Ranma, this blade is stronger than Titanium. No normal human could warp it with finger pressure alone." She put the blade to her side and looked back at Ranma, this time looking at him different than the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts had ever been looked at before. After several moments of this Nodoka gasps out loud and slowly reaches forward to lift some of his unruly hair above his ear. After she had seen the elongated point to his left hear she proceeded to trace the back side and the strangely lobe less lower portion of it. "An Elf? How?" She said.

Shakeera looked at the woman in front of her. "How do you know about elves? I did a scan of this planet from orbit and detected no non human life forms."

"I am a hunter." Nodoka said simply. "Both of the mundane and of the Supernatural. If they break the treaty, then they must be brought to justice or to death."

"Treaty Mom? What treaty are you talking about." Ranma asked.

"The Treaty between the Human worlds, the Underrealms, and the Overworld. I am one of the hunters that keep the balance in check." Nodoka said and motioned them to go and to sit down.

Shakeera stood there for a moment. "And you thought that I was part of the Underrealms." Nodoka nodded her head in answer. "I am not, I'm actually not even from this plane of existence. My race is a warrior race known as Rahu-Elf. We are a cross gene race between Rahu-men and Elf. I came to this planet, not through a dimensional portal, but via a malfunctioning star drive." She then looked over at Ranma. "Your son helped me after I foolishly tried to rescue him from some pools of chaotic magic. That magic merged with the natural magic of my race and a miscast spell. And changed your son permanently."

"Mother, I am now a cross between Rahu-Man, Elf, Dragon, and Human. There may be something more, but we do not know." He said with his eyes downcast. "That is not all mother. I also have a curse, though others have tried to convince me it is a blessing."

Nodoka looked a little bit afraid at first at his mentioning of a curse. "Is it less human in looks or nature than you are right now?"

Ranma shook his head no before continuing. "No, it isn't. But I should show you, please do not hate me for it Mom." He said. "I need some water to show you, can you please tell me where the kitchen is?" He asked.

Nodoka pointed him towards the kitchen and he left. She then turned towards Shakeera. "He'll be gone for a moment." She said. "Now one thing quickly. What are your intentions."

Shakeera was momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in Nodoka's manner but steeled herself quickly nonetheless. "Honorable Mrs. Saotome. I do wish to teach him everything I know. Especially as if not for me he would only have one curse, but would still be human."

"What do you mean, only one curse?" Nodoka asked quickly.

"He would have fallen into a human based spring according to the guide at the cursed springs of Jusenkyo."

"Jusenkyo? He was there?" Nodoka said with widened eyes. "And he is still human in his cursed form?" She asked.

"Yes, do you know of the springs?"

"I do. Two years ago a beast had come through here, I did not originally know of the springs but he had to be killed. I found out later that he was originally a boar that had wandered into the spring of drowned man, and that he had learned enough as a human to decide to take out the human race. As a human he was bad enough. But he had allied with a minor demon that changed his curse into something worse. That is all I will say on the matter." Nodoka cocked her head slightly to the side. "He is back. We will talk again later." With that her manner shifted from battle hardened mercenary back to concerned mother.

"Mother." Ranma began. "When in the springs of Sorrow, I gained a curse. It is activated with cold water, and reverted with hot." So saying he dumped the cold water over his head and turned into his female form. Nodoka saw how he shrunk down in height, and though his hips seemed to stay almost the same, his torso shrunk down a bit but expanded into a truly impressive bust. As well his hair turned from raven black, to fire engine red just like his companions. As well his eyes elongated a little and facial features turned slightly more Elvin than before.

The petite but buxom girl had her face down cast away from her mother. Nodoka looked down at the girl and put her hand on her chin to pull her face slowly up to face her. "Ranma?" She asked. "Are you still you?" She asked.

"Yes mother. I'm still me. My body changes, but not my mind." Nodoka grinned a bit weakly.

"Then I accept you. Thank you for not trying to hide this from me. I have something I'll need to tell you eventually, but it can wait for today." She said. "Ranma, there is one important thing I must know though."

"What is it Mom." Ranma-chan asked, uncomfortable having to look up at her mother.

"Where is your father, where is Genma?" Nodoka asked seriously.

"I don't know. Just after I had gotten cursed he disappeared. I haven't seen him since. Shakeera and myself traveled to Japan on our own." The petite girl answered, unsure if she was saying the right thing.

"And you're sure he's alive?" Ranma nodded her head at this. "Then I have something I'd like to play on him when we finally see him again." She said with a mischievous glint to her eye.

**Scene Break**

Sayuri sat during her lunch break eating the small bento that she had prepared for herself that morning. Nothing to out of the ordinary there. However next to her and her fried Yuka sat Akane, and that's where things were starting to get out of the ordinary.

In Fact it was entirely about Akane that things were out of the ordinary. The girl had just run the gauntlet of the new lunch time Hentai Horde attack for her hand out to a date. And instead of being pissed off or angry, she instead seemed to be happy.

"What's up Akane?" Yuka asked eyeing the girl. "You barely managed to get out of that group this time, and you're happy. What happened?"

"Huh? Oh, I was going easy on them. I've been wanting to try out a few things my Sensei has been teaching me." The raven-haired girl said with an almost vacant air to her tone.

"Ooo! Ooo!" Sayuri started bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Is he dreamy?" She asked as she leaned forward, instantly interested in the conversation now.

That question took Akane by surprise however and she almost did a spit take of her drink. "What! No, Herb-chan's a girl. Like us, but she's a great martial artist." She said after recovering from her near choke. "Well, she's not really like us. She's actually from China." Akane said as an after thought with her finger on her chin in thought. "She's staying at the Dojo and has something worked out with Uncle Genma."

"So what brought on the change in tactics with the Horde Oh Baka's?" Yuka said thumbing a few of them who were watching the trio eat from a distance.

"Oh that." Akane started. "Herb-chan has been teaching me some group fighting tactics, and they've become so easy this last time that I'm not sure that it'll be worth fighting them anymore."

"So what's different in the way you fight them now?" Sayaka asked.

"Simple, I don't punch so hard. And I sidestep a lot more. Did you know that they take themselves out that way? They're so stupid." Akane finished disdainfully before she perked up and continued. "I can't wait till this afternoon, I have a new technique I'd like to try."

The three friends continued to eat for a bit before Akane spoke up again. "Besides, I've been mulling over something that Herb-chan has told me." Yuka and Sayuri both perked up at this, as they loved hearing some of the tidbits of information that Akane told them. "She had said that dealing with a group attacking in mass can over time lower a persons skill. And that using them to determine your rank and skill is a sure way to artificially boost your estimation without actually being that good." She then looked directly at the other two. "In other words, I'm probably not the best." She continued with a slightly sorrowful cast to her features. "Actually, Kuno's probably a bit better than me right now."

"Wow Akane, I didn't think you'd ever say something like that." Yuka said.

"Yeah. I mean you beat him and the Hentai Horde all the time. Why wouldn't you be the best?" Sayuri continued.

"It's because Herb-chan is so much better than me. And Uncle Genma is better than Daddy is by leaps and bounds. I thought that I knew everything my father knew, but the other day I saw him and Uncle Genma sparring with someone I didn't know. And they all moved so fast with such precision. I have years to go before I get to that level." Her expression lighted up a bit again. "But my Sensei says I can get there, even beyond where my father is at right now! She says that I could become one of the best, but it would take dedication. So I'm going to give it my all, and learn more now that I have a dedicated Sensei to teach me."

"Wow Akane, I never thought that you could say something so profound. You're sensei must have made a real impression on you." Yuka said. "Can we meet her sometime? She sound's wonderful."

"Oh she is. But she's a slave driver. I've never been so sore in the morning before." Akane said as she rubbed her left hip in remembrance of a rather nasty blow that Herb-chan had landed on her the other night.

Yuka and Sayuri on the other hand thought that she was thinking about something else and just edged slightly away from the still deep in thought Akane.

**Scene Break**

"Well Mom? What was it you were going to tell us earlier?" Ranma-chan said from where she sat in front of her mother. Shakeera was sitting on the couch nearby facing the two Saotome women who were on the other couch in the western style living room.

"Well, first off Ranma-chan." Ranma shudders at the -chan part while Shakeera just raises her eyebrow a bit. "I am a Freelance Merc and Bounty Hunter by trade. I wasn't always that, but shortly after you and your father left on your training trip I ended up helping my first client by accident." Nodoka sits there and tells Ranma-chan and Shakeera about her first adventures, her mind falling back into the past as she did so.

It had been a tough day, and Nodoka had started to carry the Saotome honor blade around, as it was one of the last things left to her after her husband and son had left two years prior. At the time she was sitting on the subway going to another private investigator for another pointless meeting on trying to track down her husband and son. After several stops an old lady sat down next to her, so far nothing seemed remiss until the old man across from them stood up and grinned an evil grin. Then he chucked off his cloak and seemed to almost melt or flow into another form.

The man's clothes seemed to ripple and change into almost coal or volcanic rock that appeared to be crumbling. His head grew in size and his jaw elongated. A pair of great bat like wings with shredded wing membranes grew out of his back, and his arms elongated and grew vicious looking claws at the end. His legs grew an extra joint and his feet shifted to appear to be giant birds feet. Nodoka could tell that the demonic entity in front of her was male, as its organ hung limp between it's grossly deformed legs. She was so shocked by the transformation that she stood motionless.

Her immobility may have saved her life though as the creature lunged forward to the old lady who was screaming only the scream of someone in mortal terror could scream. As soon as the demonic being reached the woman it tore into her throat and proceeded to feed on her soft neck and chest area.

A small splash of gore hit Nodoka on the upper cheek and shocked her back to awareness. Quietly, though quickly the Saotome Matriarch drew her honor blade from its sheath until it was ready beside her gripped in her left hand. She let out a small hiss as she prepared to use a cutting blow that she had learned in her youth, the long unused talents coming to the surface of her mind in time to save her. Though not in time to save her fellow passenger.

The Demon heard her quiet hiss, and turned to face the new threat. But not in time as its head fell to the ground below the perverse flesh eating demons feet. Nodoka came out of her stance on the other side of the creature with a slightly feral glint to her eye, her entire being taken over by the fight or flight rush of instinct that she had used to kill the creature from another plane. Just before she came out of the trance one of the doors of the subway car burst open and a man stood there wearing a suit and tie and pointing one of the biggest hand guns that Nodoka had ever seen in her general direction.

Still in the fighting trance Nodoka let loose a banshee like wail and boosted towards the man with the gun, he managed to fire three shots at her before she was on him. The first shot grazed her left shoulder, the second her right hip. The third shot she managed to deflect with the length of her sword. Just as she was sweeping downward in a body-cleaving blow her sword was halted by what appeared to be blood read claws about a half a meter in length. Five total blocked her blade, and she traced them to the hand that they sprung from over to the face of the beautiful woman that the arm was attached to.

"Shi-Ne!" Nodoka cried and riposted off of the red claws to spin around into a knee-severing blow from a crouched position. The claws intercepted her sword again and again she allowed the rebound to further her spin and spun for another lethal blow that would sever a man at the waist. "SHI-NE!" She cried once more only to find the blade clapped between the woman's hands, her claws shrunken down to just fashionable red nails again.

The strange woman held onto the blade as the man she had defended stepped forward and held onto Nodoka's hands as the rush left her.

As her world came back into focus, Nodoka realized what had happened and turned around to look at the Demon that she had slain. Then she looked at the man and the woman who she had tried to murder, and then back over at the old woman who had been gored by the demon. Nodoka then threw up the remnants of her lunch and her world faded to black.

She came back to herself to see the disgusted look on her sons face, but a knowing look on Shakeera's. She was about to comment something when Shakeera beat her to it. "It sounds like you faced a rather nasty little creature there Mrs. Saotome." The four-armed woman said. "Probably an incubus or melchior by the sounds of it."

"You know of these fiends?" Nodoka asked amazed. Shakeera nodded her head, and then motioned the older woman to continue. "Well the gentleman who I had almost killed was one of the agents used to keep the veil of the Underrealm from overrunning into the Human world. He trained me in a gun wielding style of martial arts and got me in contact with a group that trained me and now hires me on a case by case basis to help hunt down and kill anyone or anything that threatens the veil or Humanity."

She looked around the room for a moment before continuing. "Since then I've been taking jobs by more than just the Agency, and I work with several Private Eyes and the local law enforcement agencies on a freelance basis. They pay me money, and I hunt it down. I'd do much of what I do for free, but I've found that I get many more of the real jobs if I have a price. Though I will take on charity cases rather than let an innocent die."

"I don't feel so bad about pop's training now." Ranma-chan said then looked down at the other cup in her hand and poured the water over her head to turn herself back into a guy. "I mean that it was tough and demeaning. And sometimes down right dangerous. But nothing like hunting down demons and murderers." Ranma then looked down at his hands and decided to continue. "But aren't I now what you hunt down Mother?" He said, an almost fearful tone to his voice.

Nodoka looked at him almost in shock then she lunged forward and pulled him into another hug. "I could Never hunt you Ranma. You are my son. I would love you no matter what." She said close to tears herself now. "But we both have to learn to live with each other from now on." Nodoka then pulled her son to arms length and looked directly into his eyes. "Son, you must not ever tell anyone what I do. If you did you would make yourself and everyone around you a target." Nodoka then looked over to Shakeera. "I trust you to do the same."

In response Shakeera just held up her lower set of arms and looked at them pointedly. "I would ask the same of you Mrs. Saotome."

"Please, call me Nodoka, or Auntie. Mrs. Saotome just sounds so... well.. Old."

"Ok Auntie." Both Ranma and Shakeera said with cheeky grins.

**Scene Break**

"Genma, wait." Genma stopped in his tracks and looked over to the Musk Prince. Herb-kun was standing looking at the local government building in the port town that they were at.

"What is it Herb?" The middle aged martial artist asked his companion.

Herb continued to stand there in thought. "I would like to enter Japan legally this time."

"Ok... Why?" Genma asked in a guarded fashion.

"I'm tired of sneaking around. I wish to travel in comfort this time. To actually be recognized and not to be hidden. It has gotten old." The dragon prince said in a worn tone of voice. "Wait here, I am going to renew my old visa." With that the Prince walked into the building looking nothing more than a vagrant in his Chinese Tangs and worn travel gear.

**Scene Break**

Akuma was not happy. He had not been able to summon up enough Ki to be able to fly, and he hadn't been able to determine the cause. He looked down at his arms, no longer encased in his royal battle armor, now clothed in a faded yellow shirtsleeves, with metallic forearm bracers. Instead of his glorious hands free to the world he had covered them in black leather gloves from a store he had encountered earlier.

As well, gone was the chest plate that denoted his status as a Warrior Premiere of his planet. In it's place was a stiff yellow and tan shirt. Tucked into black denim pants that in turn were tucked into black combat boots. Over it all was a tabard style-traveling cloak of a dusty brown color with a similar hood up over his head. And a scarf of the same color as his pants around his lower face. He also wore a full head bandana to prevent the humans of this planet from seeing his flame like hair.

Over his eyes were a set of fur lined riding goggles, the red gleam visible behind one of them of his computer scanner. He's still following the blinking dot on the scanner.

The dimensional traveler stood on a cliff overlooking a large suburbia with minimal technology as far as he could see. However the blinking dot on his visor told him that he needed to travel through the valley. He raised his foot to take a step only to stop as he felt his limbs solidify.

Akuma stood there in mid step as his flesh, and even the clothes he was wearing turned into hardened granite. One leg in the air. The change took but moments, but to the coal skinned being it took eternity. After he had turned into a stone statue a glow appeared around him and whisps of blue white smoke started to waft down off of his hardened body.

The ethereal whisps travel to a point about a meter in front of the being for several minutes until a small ball about 30 cm across is formed. After such the ball flows like smoke into a small humanoid figure that looks back up at the stone statue in disgust before turning around to float over the valley that Akuma was traveling towards.

**Scene Break**

It been a couple of days since Ranma was reunited with his mother. Nodoka had requested them to move in with her immediately afterwards. At first Shakeera had tried to just have it be Ranma, but Nodoka would have none of that. And requested the both of them to stay with her. She then took care of the apartment that they had leased, and arranged for some tailored clothes for Shakeera with a contact of hers so they could avoid any questions.

Shakeera was secretly pleased with this as she was running out of clothes to wear and didn't like tearing holes in new shirts or sewing them herself to get the extra set of arms that she required to be comfortable.

"Mom?" Ranma asked as he came up beside Nodoka in the kitchen some time that morning. "What are you gonna do 'bout Pops?" He asked, starting to fall back into his bad grammar.

"That depends on what he does when I see him." She answered. "I won't go into detail, but he has much to answer for."

"Whaddya mean?" Ranma said.

Shakeera had come into the room wearing a black tank top cut to allow all four of her arms freedom, and a pair of blue cut offs. She goes up to the sink and pours herself a glass of water.

"I mean this." Nodoka says then pulls a piece of paper out of a drawer on the other side of the kitchen and places it in front of Ranma. "Your father took you and left this in your place on your bed. If I had not encountered that demon when I did, and continued on my path I might have become twisted in my views of honor to actually enforce that piece of filth."

"Hmm?" Ranma said as he pulled the paper and looked at it. "DAMNIT POP'S. I'M GONNA SKIN YA ALIVE!" He yelled out as his aura came to life around him. Only to be dashed quickly as Shakeera splashed him in the face with a glass of water. Ranma-chan blinked a couple of times then looked at Shakeera bashfully and apologized.

"That's about how I feel." Nodoka said as she looked at her son turned daughter. "I seem to remember though, your father had promised many years ago to his old training partner. Something about an arranged marriage."

Ranma-chan started to sputter at this and Shakeera threatened her with the rest of the water to which she calmed down enough to listen to her mother continue.

"Well, Genma had promised something about joining the schools through marriage with his old training partner. And as I remember it the only other authorized teacher of Anything Goes Martial Arts. I don't remember his name off hand, but I do remember that he had at least one daughter." Nodoka then looked strait at Ranma instead of off in the distance as she tried to remember some of the details. "I won't enforce it Ranma. But we should see to it and any way to dissolute or work with it as it is a manner of honor."

"But what honor is there, if the same man who made that promise stole your only child away like a thief in the night?" Shakeera asked Nodoka.

"There is little, but if Ranma is to remain a Saotome then the name must be strengthened. And if that is through marriage then it is. If it is through combat, then that is the way of it. But I will not allow a son of mine to have tarnished honor." Nodoka said looking directly into Ranma-chan's eyes. "Do you understand?"

"But what if Pop's made more than one of these agreements?" Ranma-chan asked quietly.

"Then you may no longer need to uphold the Saotome name. However we will cross that bridge if, not when, but if we come to it." Nodoka then grabbed the seppuku contract still in Ranma-chan's hands and put it back in the file drawer. "I'll arrange to find out who it was that Genma foolishly promised you to. Then you'll go to their house and determine if it is worth it to be with one of Genma's friends daughters." She turned around and faced Ranma directly. "And you will give it a good effort young lady! I don't want you to just show up say hi and then leave."

Shakeera and Ranma both shuddered a bit at Nodoka's fierce manner.

"Oh, and do have fun there kids." The woman continued switching moods faster than a pair of shoes. "And please keep in contact, I expect to hear all sorts of juicy details."

Shakeera turned to Ranma-chan and whispered conspiratorially. "Your mothers scary."

To which Ranma-chan just nodded before looking over at Shakeera and noticing the clothes she was in. "Hey, wanna spar? You don't have ta change or anythin." To which she received a bonk on the head by Shakeera.

"Grammar Ranma, Grammar."

"Sorry." She said with her eyes slightly downcast.

**End Chapter**

Authors Notes.

Well, here's chapter 08. And only a couple of days after Chapter 07. My muse was in OVERDRIVE!

Well, I'll keep writing and plugging away at it. But my muse late last night swapped over to another X-Over I'm working on called Juraian Rebirth. I'm trying to outline it's first couple of books and get at least one chapter posted before I continue to much further on ADTOV. However I still expect to get the chapter 09 of this particular story done and posted before Halloween.

Till then.

Enlu.


	9. Chapter 9 First day at School

A Different Type of Visitor (ADTOV) Chapter 09

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Thanks again to all my reviewers.

Work on ADTOV will continue. Book 2 ADTOW is started and will be posted, as it's own story on and I'm not sure about other hosts as so far this is also posted in Ranchan Crossing bridges. Oh well. On with the Story

It was brought to my attention by Hiryo about Ranma and Shakeera seeing Nodoka's weaponry and trophy room. That room is her office. It is not located in her house. So far Ranma and Shakeera have not exactly shared Weapons information with Nodoka. So far Nodoka knows that Shakeera is indeed not from this plane of existence, and is from a high tech environment. However Shakeera has only shown Cologne, Shampoo, and Ranma her plasma cannon and has kept it either hidden (With her tech cloak) or put away in its travel case for non-combat carrying.

Sorry for the confusion.

On with the fic.

**Chapter 09**

It had been a few days since Ranma and Shakeera had moved in with Nodoka. So far they had not met with too much success finding the other practicing family of Anything Goes Martial Arts. It had been a bit frustrating until Shakeera had asked one simple question.

"Ranma?"

"Yes Shacky?" Ranma answered using his new nickname for the four-armed dimensional traveler.

"You know I don't like that nickname. Anyway, I think I may have found your fathers old friend." Shakeera answered.

Ranma perked up at this and came over to the table where Shakeera was sitting at in front of her small computer. "So, what did you find?"

"Well, first I was trying to find a School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. But there was nothing listed for that in any of the government registries." She began. "So then I tried to do just searches of known dojo's and otherwise that have a unique style that no one else teaches." Shakeera grimaced after that. "Big mistake that by the way."

"Why, how many individual styles are there?"

"To many. Let's count a few in one district by itself. Martial Arts Tea Ceremony, Martial Arts Calligraphy, Martial Arts Baking, Martial Arts Sewing, Martial Arts Karaoke, to name a few. The list goes on, I won't bore you. However the Tendo Dojo is listed as using the style known as Indiscriminate Grappling. Ring a bell?"

"Uh... Shakeera. They're almost the exact same thing." Ranma said.

"Not to Trade Four. Ranma, you forget that I'm still using magic to communicate. Your Japanese translates several ways depending on the meaning or the tense."

"You are? But, why? Haven't you learned any Japanese yet?" Ranma asked seeming slightly taken aback by her statement.

"Well, I do speak it now. But I don't want to sound like an illiterate foreigner. So I keep my spell going on and off. That's why I'm sometimes waiving my hands around a little. I'm recasting the spell or enhancing its duration."

"Doesn't that get a bit tiring?"

"Naw, after awhile it gets easier. Think of it this way, it's a way to build up my potential psychic energy. Sort of like stretching a muscle, the more you use it the stronger and more endurance it has." Shakeera said then turned back to her computer. "Anyway, the Tendo Dojo is located in Nerima. And they're only a few miles from here. Want to go?"

**Scene Break**

Ranma and Shakeera are walking down the sidewalk in Nerima. Ranma is dressed in his Chinese tangs, with a dragon embroidered in black and purple threads moving upwards on the left side of the shirt. Shakeera however was the one drawing stares. She was once again in her combat armor, and once again it looked like a JSDF set of combat fatigues. Complete with a proper rank insignia.

"Why did you wear those? We've got some clothes for you." Ranma whispered to her as they walked down the street.

"Because, last time I went to meet up with your past I was attacked by a Demon Slayer. I'm coming prepared this time."

"Har har. That was my mother. And can you totally blame her? I mean we aren't completely human now are we?" Ranma said in a slightly downtrodden tone.

Shakeera bopped him in the shoulder quickly. "Hey knock that off. It's not so bad, and you still look human." Ranma replied only by lifting up a little bit of his hair so that Shakeera could see his pointed elf like ear. "Ok, well mostly human. But the point is you have to clue people in on the fact you aren't." She said. "Hey, we're there."

"We are?" Ranma said acting a bit clueless. In response Shakeera pointed over his shoulder to a sign proclaiming the property behind the retaining wall to be the 'Tendo Training Hall of Indiscriminate Grappling'. "Hey we are. Shall we announce ourselves?" He asked.

Since the front gates were open but the front door of the house inside was closed they decided to walk up to the front door and knock politely.

Inside the Tendo house Soun was reading the daily paper shortly after his two youngest daughters had returned from to school. He heard a knock at the door and was about to call out to Kasumi to answer it when he remembered that she was preparing dinner at the moment. The Tendo Patriarch got up and walked to the door quietly. However his serene state of mind took a quick blow when he opened the front door, and saw a young man dressed in a similar manner to Prince Herb. And a young female JSDF officer beside him.

Soun Tendo stood there for a few moments before his wits returned to him. "Welcome to the Tendo residence. How may I help you." He politely answered.

"Are you Soun Tendo?" Shakeera asked in a very strait forward manner.

"I am, and may I ask why the Military is interested in me?" Soun asked in return, his mind spinning and trying to think back to any incident he may or may not have had with the government.

"Oh, the Military is not interested in you. But my companion may have some business with you." She answered.

The young man bowed before Soun. "I am Saotome Ranma, and I'm sorry about meeting like this." Ranma said and stood back up to face Soun.

And was taken completely by surprise when the older man grabbed him in a bear hug. "Finally you have come!" Soun proclaimed as Ranma's braid seemed to levitate behind him. Soun seemed to realize the discomfort that he was causing his old friends son and backed off a bit, but didn't release Ranma's shoulders even though he did release him from the hug.

Before Ranma and Shakeera can say anything more they found themselves ushered into the house and sitting at a family meeting and dining table. Soun sat down at the head of the table and waited for several moments before he spoke. "Ranma, I thank the heavens that you found my house and family. I will need a few moments to get my daughters for a family meeting with you." Soun then stood back up and walked away.

Shakeera took a moment to look at her companion; she noticed that he seemed to be sitting there sweating bullets. "What's wrong Ranma?" She said quietly to him.

At the same time that Shakeera was looking at him, Ranma had figured out exactly what was going on. Somehow his father's old friend had managed to get them seated in a formal meeting placement. The tea and other party may be missing at the moment, but the Saotome youth knew for a fact that they were properly arranged with Shakeera on his right in the place of where his parents would be, and Soun on his left where the matchmaker or clan head would be. And if he was not mistaken then the most eligible for marriage of Mr. Tendo's daughters would be placed directly in front of him.

However before he could answer her question Soun ushered in two beautiful young women. One was dressed in a plain housedress that did nothing to hide her beauty. The other one was dressed in a pair of business slacks, and a yellow blouse and had her hair in a helmet style hair cut. The younger business looking girl quirked her eyebrow up as she sat down directly across from Ranma.

"Ranma, these are my two eligible daughters. My youngest is already spoken for, but Kasumi is 19 and Nabiki is 17. Please pick one and she will be engaged to you to be your wife." Soun said after he had sat down. As he was talking however, Kasumi had turned her face downward a bit and Nabiki rolled her eyes slightly. To Shakeera it was obvious that the girls in front of her were only going along with this to please their father, and they didn't really want to be here in the first place.

"Mr. Tendo?" Shakeera spoke up from where she sat.

Soun blinked once at the irregularity of Ranma's companion speaking up instead of the Saotome youth himself. "Yes um..."

"Shakeera Sonee'"

"Yes Shakeera-san?"

Shakeera looked plainly at Soun before continuing. "We already know about the engagement. And since Ranma is still learning the finer parts of negotiation I shall speak for him as his Teacher and companion Elder." She said, of course Ranma stared at her for her breach of etiquette. "Ranma's Mother has agreed to honor the engagement for now, but insists on a trial period in which for Ranma to meet his fiancée to be and for her to meet him. At the end of this period they will decide on the engagement for themselves, be it in favor of the engagement and later marriage or in favor of separation."

Nabiki kept her eyebrows raised after hearing this from the very young seeming girl in front of her. At first the middle Tendo daughter thought that the girl was either Ranma's sister, or that the Saotome youth was going out with her. But she was surprised to find Shakeera defending the idea of the engagement, all be it under a specific condition. The middle Tendo daughter had to hand it to the girl as this way everyone could either find piece or find a way out.

"Tendo-san?" Ranma said from his position at the table. Soun nodded his head to Ranma as if to tell him to go on. "I am also searching for my father, Saotome Genma."

Soun sat up and straightened out his back squaring his shoulders in an authoritative manner. "My old friend Genma, your father, has already been here. And he did assure me that you would be wed to one of my daughters upon your arrival. Between us it was a matter of honor."

"A Matter of Honor?" Shakeera spoke up in a questioning tone. "How so Mr. Tendo? Why would a marriage of Ranma to one of your daughters be a matter of honor?" After she finished her question, but before Soun could speak up she turned towards the two Tendo girls sitting in front of her. "Sorry, no offense to the both of you." Then she turned back to Soun who she could see was about to start blustering again. "Are your families of Royal Blood? Or the last of a lineage? Why marriage? As far as I've seen Ranma is more of a martial artist, and that can be trained. Is there something that must be passed on between your families heredity."

Soun at this point found enough of his backbone to stand up to the strange visitor that he found inside his domicile. "This pact was made between Genma and myself many years ago, it was a pact to join our two clans while also strengthening our school of Martial Arts. To create in one heir the mastery of Tendo/Saotome Unrestrained Grappling and Weapons Use. This was and has been our dream for many years." He said in a strong voice. To which Nabiki and Kasumi both looked at him in surprise.

To Nabiki she was seeing the Father that she felt should have always been there. To Kasumi who had been old enough when their mother died to remember her, this was the father that she remembered and felt had died along with her mother.

However after both of the Tendo Daughters have that basic epiphany Nabiki has another and looks over at her father. "Father? Did you make this agreement with Uncle Genma at a bar?" She said.

Soun looked at her in astonishment for a second before he answered. "Why yes we did. How did you know that Nabiki?"

Ranma and Shakeera look at each other for a second before Ranma slaps his forehead and Shakeera pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Ai kosho neair kolasamach!" Shakeera exclaims in a strained voice. "Puerre no KlaShin ea locoflich!" She continued as she looked back up. "Did you ever consider that to be a bit on the moronic side?" She exclaimed.

"As much as I want to defend our family right now daddy," Nabiki started, "Why would you consider a drunken agreement to be so honorable?"

As this was starting to turn downward towards a blame throwing session, Ranma straightened up from the slouch he had gone into after discovering a bit more of his fathers moronic behavior. "Tendo-san, as I stated earlier. I will honor the engagement, but only honor the marriage if both myself and one of your daughters finds it acceptable." He said in a calm tone.

Everyone looked at him for several moments before Nabiki took charge. "And what makes you think that one of us wants to be engaged to you?" She said with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I don't." Ranma said plainly. "But I also know my father. And if I agree to at least be engaged he'll let me be to discover that I like or dislike it." Soun nods his head in agreement. "And that since my mother did know and approve of the engagement that means that there is honor here to be saved. So I will accept the engagement, but I will only give it so much time."

Kasumi looked at him for a moment. "My, so mature for a teenager." She said.

"He's only that way after much work on mine and Elder Cologne's behalf." Shakeera said.

Nabiki took this opportunity to ask a question that she'd been dying to ask for a bit. "So, Shakeera-san. Why is a member of the JSDF here? Why are you escorting Ranma around anyway?" She said with a slightly feral grin, thinking that she had at least regained some of the high ground of the intellectual battlefield.

"Oh, this?" Shakeera said with a wave towards her torso. "This is only an illusion to hide my battle armor. Let me show you what it really looks like." With that she touched her left arm bracer lightly in a peculiar manner and the control holo-keyboard appeared. She punched a small combo into the holo-keys and her green military fatigues seemed to melt and shift into a glossy dark colored armor that almost looked like pressed and buffed obsidian. A slight shimmering appeared on her back and hip, and a metallic backpack with a large alien rifle on one side and strapped on sword on the other side. On her hip a holster appeared with a pistol inside of it.

Nabiki watched in amazement as the seeming youthful JSDF officer turned into something that even most Otaku would find intimidating stood up and bowed to them.

"Let me re-introduce myself." Shakeera said before reverting back to the foreign language they had heard before. "Dosh Doran le kasamophorentine sil Sonee' kala phere Shakeera du dekesh plenkessel huanti toe kar bil semikantar semikuantikar luforeina pel doshkin in un phyle loo kash." She then came out of the bow. "I am Shakeera Sonee' of the Confederated Armed Forces Deep insurgence fighting contingent. Engineer Second grade, pilot first grade, at your service."

After she stood back up and translated her greeting in to Japanese she then dropped her disguise illusion allowing everyone to see her lower set of arms before giving a basic wave with them. "As you can see, I'm not exactly from around here."

**Scene Break**

Nabiki sat alone in her room digesting what she had seen earlier. _"Weird, magic and aliens. But what did they leave out?" _She thought to herself. After Shakeera had reintroduced herself her father had decided to end the meeting for a bit so that Ranma and Shakeera could settle in as they had also agreed to reside in the house for a time. She then looked down at her books and then over at the several fifty thousand yen notes that her father had handed to her.

"Rent for Ranma's sensei." Her father had said. She thought on that but decided that it did make sense. Shakeera was not related, nor was she involved in her family in any manner. However the four-armed visitor from elsewhere was instructing her potential fiancée in some form of art, and she said that she must be near him at all times for now until he passed his first discipline. _"Kinda fishy, what type of art requires the Sensei to be near the student twenty-four seven?"_ Nabiki thought to herself.

"But then again, what kind of student does she have?" She asked out loud. "I mean, this guy, shows up out of nowhere…"

"Nabiki? Can I come in?" Her elder sister asked from outside the door interrupting her thoughts.

"Sure Kasumi. Close the door behind you though. " Nabiki said with a waive of her hand. Nabiki continued her talking after the eldest Tendo daughter entered her room. "So what do you think about Ranma sister?" She asked.

"You mean besides the curse?" Kasumi asked. Both girls thought back to shortly after Shakeera had shown her full form. The alien girl had said that there was one thing beyond the natural that they needed to be aware of. And that was about Ranma's curse. Luckily all the girls had seen Ranma's father change into a Panda and back before, however they still were a little bit surprised when they watched as Ranma was turned into a girl. Nabiki had whistled a quick wolf whistle much to Ranma's embarrassment. While Kasumi had given her trademarked "Oh My."

"Yes, besides the curse. Believe it or not, after Prince Herb, Uncle Genma, and Ranma's Sensei the fact that Ranma turns into a girl with cold water almost seems mundane. It's his personality that I'm asking about."

"I don't know little sister. He seems mature for his age. But we don't really know him yet. But the fact that he went to see his mother first and then still came here knowing about the engagement speaks volumes for his character." Kasumi said with her hand on her chin. "Why don't we just wait and see how this turns out? At least he won't be boring, ne?"

**Scene Break**

On the docks in Tokyo Harbor Genma and a depressed Herb-chan step off of a small passenger ferry from China to Japan. Both of them look a bit more travel worn than usual, and there is a near palatable sense of depression in the air around them.

"At least we now know that Ranma's in Japan." Genma said in an attempt to start up a conversation.

Silence was his only reply. "Hey, Akane's here as well."

Herb-chan looked up at that and seemed to perk up a bit, but then she felt the eyes of someone else watching.

"Hey doll, why don't you ditch your old man and hang out with us?" A randy looking sailor said as he sauntered down the dock towards Herb-chan and Genma.

Herb-chan grinned darkly and handed her pack and precious metal tube container to her larger companion. "Here, I think I found something to cheer me up a bit." Once her possessions were out of the way of being damaged she flared her aura slightly, enough to cause her hair and clothes to seem almost weightless but not enough to cause it to become visible. "Hello boys." She said in a dangerous tone. "I think I will 'Hang' with you for a bit. Or maybe you'll just be hanging."

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan blocked Shakeera's lower arm and countered with a knee to her opponent's hip. The four-armed girl bent slightly around Ranma-chan's knee and held it there with her lower right arm as she used her upper right arm to do an ear chop. Ranma-chan weaved her head backwards and flexed her thigh in quick repetition as she spun horizontally while turning her backwards lean into a backwards leap. Her four-armed opponent was unable to maintain her grip and was also rewarded a snap kick for her efforts from Ranma-chan's right leg as her red haired foe used her own stomach as a spring board for her move.

While the two of them were in their morning training session, Akane was watching in from her place just inside of the gate to the Tendo estate. _"I'm glad that I wasn't engaged to that gender bender."_ She thought to herself as she stood there. _"It's bad enough that Kuno's chasing after me. But to have to deal with that freak and his weird paramilitary bimbo?"_ The angry girl thought to herself and then walked into the house without another word.

As Akane was walking into the house, a tired Nabiki had made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. She still had a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, and watched out the doorway for a moment as Ranma-chan executed a flip over the back of her opponent and punted her into a tree. "Hey Kasumi." She called out and went into the kitchen.

"Yes sister?" Kasumi called out politely and then stopped herself as she caught a glimpse out of the open doorway of Shakeera jumping over Ranma and then bear hugging the other girl with her lower arms and pummeling the back of Ranma-chan's head with her upper arms. "I'm going to have to get used to that." She said under her breath and turned around to continue cooking content in the knowledge that if Nabiki wanted to continue the conversation that she'd follow Kasumi into the kitchen herself.

"How long have they been going at it?" Nabiki asked as she came into the kitchen and pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth.

"Oh, about an hour now."

"An hour?" Nabiki said in astonishment. "I've never seen Akane keep moving like that for even a half hour. You sure they haven't taken a break?"

"Nope, no breaks yet that I've seen." Kasumi said. "Here stir this." She said as she handed Nabiki a small bowl with some eggs and tofu in it. "They're moving faster now too."

"Wow, I wonder how Akane's taking it?" Nabiki said trying to get into the rhythm of stirring the mix that Kasumi had handed her.

Kasumi stopped cutting the vegetables she was cutting to look directly at Nabiki. "Take what?" She said.

"Take the fact that these two are much better martial artists than her."

"That's not a nice thing to say sister." Kasumi said with a slightly disapproving smile.

Nabiki rolled her eyes as she felt the old argument start up again. "Kasumi, you know that if Akane is to do anything, we've got to stop coddling her. She's not been the best around here in a long time, if ever."

"What do you mean?" Kasumi said and took back the bowl that Nabiki had been stirring.

"I know that you still practice Tai Chi and Mui Thai while we're at school. Why have you been trying to hide it from us?" Nabiki said to her sister as she started to lean up against a counter.

Kasumi's eyes got a bit large at her younger sisters insinuation and her expression clouded over a bit. "Out you." She said as she waived Nabiki out of the kitchen. "And don't you dare mention that to anyone." She said shaking a wooden spoon at Nabiki who was only too pleased to get out of the kitchen without being handed any other dishes to be stirred.

Nabiki decided to take a look at the floorshow again as she still had plenty of time to get ready for school this morning. She moved onto the porch and sat down next to her father who was watching Ranma-chan and Shakeera fighting. "They're good." She commented to her father who nodded his head in agreement.

Ranma-chan had just gotten the upper hand yet again using Shakeera's lower two arms to flip her upwards into the air where he proceeded to jump after and punt her slightly higher. On his return trip into the air from the ground he was attempted to do an air-juggling move he'd been learning when Shakeera upped the ante and summoned her Psi-Shield.

To Nabiki and Soun who were watching they saw Ranma-chan throw Shakeera upwards about two meters then follow with a kick that pushed the four-armed girl a touch higher into the air. And on Ranma-chan's rebound from the ground Shakeera had held her upper right hand in a peculiar fashion and a glowing blue and gold medieval looking shield appeared on her arm that she used to block Ranma's second upward kick. Then she countered with her upper left arm with a similarly summoned blue gold rod of force. After her first strike on Ranma-chan's shoulder she then followed her fellow red haired foe while jabbing and striking with her self-generated energy rod.

Ranma-chan managed to flip off of the ground before Shakeera could pin her and rebounded off to the wall where they started to continue their combat. Started to that is until Soun jumped up and yelled. "STOP! STOP THIS INSTANCE!" The Tendo Patriarch bellowed as he ran over to them.

"How did you do that miss?" Soun said as soon as he had made it up to the two slightly winded combatants.

"Huh?" Shakeera asked a bit dimly before she realized that he was talking about her Psi-Shield and a less cutting version of her Psi-Sword. "Oh these, all Psi-Warriors are trained in using their inner spirit to bring forth weapons and defenses." She answers, "Though they often aren't strong willed enough to use them in combat until they are well into their third discipline, the Art of Offense."

"So they are not a Ki technique?" Soun asked seeming slightly confused.

"Not to my knowledge." Shakeera answered honestly then held forth the shield for his inspection.

Soun touched the shield and pulled his hand back as if burned. "But… How?" He asked

"Only certain races, and a select few Humans can harness their Inner Spirit in the use of Psionics. My race is one of them, Ranma can now do the same." She said with a quick nod to the pig tailed youth who was watching Shakeera's interaction with Soun. "Psi is not too dissimilar to your Ki abilities, but it is used to harness and tap into the weave of existence using your inner spirit. However, though a person must be trained in the use of Psi, the same abilities can not be trained into a null."

Ranma-chan perked up a bit at hearing that as she hadn't heard this part about Psionics yet.

"Null?" Soun asked simply.

"Null. A person without the spark of Psi. Someone who is incapable of using even the slightest amount of their spirit through Psionic ability." She said and released her Psi-rod. "But why would you be so worried about my creating weapons out of my spirit?" Shakeera asked with her head cocked slightly to the side.

Soun stopped for a second before composing himself. "It is because the Tendo-ryo specializes in ground combat and with the creation of Ki weaponry for offense and defense. We have not trained anyone outside of our family in that aspect of the art for many generations and it is considered to be a family secret."

Ranma-chan stepped forward this time. "Ki Weapons?" She asked. "Could you show me?"

Soun nodded his head and concentrated, a light reddish colored mist seemed to coat his forearm for but a moment and then it flowed down towards his open palm. Once the flowing mist centered in his palm it started to elongate outwards into the shape of an ornate Naginata. Once the spear had taken shape it seemed to harden into finely lacquered wood and a dark brushed metal blade. There were two tassels just behind the blade itself and they seemed to almost float upon the wind as the blade sat there.

"Ki weapons." Ranma-chan said to herself. "And if it's so secret to your family, why would you want to 'join the houses'?" She said to Soun who was still wielding his spear.

Soun stood there holding the spear looking at Ranma-chan like she should have understood herself. "If you took your clans style of airborne unarmed combat and added to the Tendo style of grounded weapon use you would have a style that-"

"That is either the most powerful style in the world. OR one of the weakest as it uses too many core concepts." Shakeera interrupted. "And who would you teach it to? And who would the style benefit?" She asked directly to Soun.

"Why, we'd teach our children and carry on the line." He said in a near flabbergasted tone.

Ranma-chan picked up on what Shakeera seemed to be doing. "And would I learn any of these techniques?" She asked the Tendo Patriarch.

"Of course not. Only your son would learn them."

Of course this also served to annoy Ranma-chan a bit, but with her training for the last month as well as social coaching from Shakeera she decided to resort to words instead of actions. Better though she had thought of a path that would most likely get Soun to either submit or at least think about it for a long while. "And what makes you think I'd agree to that?" She asked putting her hip into a slight cocked position that was very hard to do as a guy, but very easy as a girl.

"Because it's a matter of family honor!" Soun said falling back on his tried and not quite so true logic base.

"So, only a son can learn? Why not a daughter?" Ranma-chan stated.

Her statement however only served to derail Soun a bit as he had thought that the child of his old friend and training partner was talking about learning the Tendo School, not the gender of her child. "Huh?"

"I said, why not a daughter. Are only men good enough to learn your school?" Ranma-chan said then looked down at herself. "Is that why I can't learn the techniques? Because I'm part girl now?"

Meanwhile Akane had come back down stares in her school uniform and saw her father holding one of the family weapons and confronting Ranma-chan about something. Not sure what it was about she had caught the last sentence about being a girl. Confused and wanting more information the youngest Tendo daughter walked up behind her father to listen.

"Of course that's not why. It's just that you're not family yet and even then you are not blood related. Our clans honor demands that only the Son of the clan may learn our techniques."

"Have you taught your daughters the technique? They're blood related. Are they to teach the son of a union between your house and another? How are you going to pass along your knowledge if you die between now and when the child is old enough to learn?" Ranma-chan rapid fired at Soun. She then got a slight gleam in her eye as she saw Akane standing behind her father. _"Take this you misogynistic creep."_ She thought to herself preparing another verbal onslaught. "Or is it that girls are to be protected. That they can't become warriors. That they aren't strong enough. What is it, because if I'm to be part of an arranged marriage to continue a tradition, then it had better be a worthy tradition." She finished in a clipped manner.

Not surprisingly to anyone with a moderatum of common sense, Akane was starting to take offense to this line of questioning. Especially when she saw the Japanese Spear in her father's hand revert back into a Ki Cloud and dissipate into his body. She may not have been to terribly advanced in her own house of martial arts, but she was advanced enough to recognize a high level Ki ability when she saw it. "FATHER! IS IT TRUE!" The youngest and arguably the most spoiled Tendo daughter yelled.

Soun jumped at hearing the enraged voice of his youngest from right behind him and slowly turned around to face her only to see her blazing eyes and fury almost palatable through her aura. "What Honey?" He asked in a simpering voice.

"THAT YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT GIRLS CAN BE MARTIAL ARTISTS!" She bellowed taking a hold of her father's gi top. "WHY DON'T YOU DRY UP AND **DIE!**" She yelled and pulled her father over her shoulder in an Aikido flip that launched him over the lawn and into one of the trees next to the guardian wall. After which she turned on Ranma-chan who had been smirking as if in though that she had won a battle. "AND YOU, YOU OVERCONFIDENT JERK. I challenge you, I'll show you that a 'Weak Girl' can be a martial artist."

Ranma-chan shrugged her shoulders and turned towards the dojo.

"WAIT! Turn back into a guy, I don't want you whining when I beat you that I only won because you were a 'Girl'." Akane told the other girl in a slightly mean tempered voice as she stomped into the Dojo.

Ranma-chan just looked at Shakeera who had sat the last little bit out with a curious expression. "What'd I do?"

"You insulted her family, and insinuated some interesting points about her fathers capabilities."

"Oh."

**Scene Break**

Ranma-kun stood facing Akane in the Dojo. He was dressed in his red Chinese shirt and black pants but wasn't wearing shoes at this point. Akane was dressed in her yellow Gi, with her red belt. The fiery tempered girl faced Ranma with a glare and seemed to vibrate on the soles of her feet in anticipation of the duel to come.

Shakeera stood in the judging position between the two youths; she was dressed in a black tank top and black pants similar to Ranma's clothes. Also she had her lower two arms tucked behind her back to at least appear to fit in a bit. "Ok, no special abilities." She said looking directly at Ranma. "And no grudges." She said with a look at Akane. "This is only to determine martial arts capabilities, so it's touch only not full contact."

Akane started to speak up at that point however a single look from their four-armed referee stopped her cold.

"3 points only, points awarded for a clean hit to the torso, neck, back, or otherwise. Half points for disabling touches to the arms and legs. I will call out the points, and keep track of them. Double points for disabling the body, and points taken away for dishonorable conduct and overly vicious blows." Shakeera stepped back a couple of steps. "Do you both understand?"

"Hai." Akane bit out.

"Yes Sensei." Ranma said respectfully.

"Ok, Begin!" Shakeera yelled out and took four more steps back to observe.

Ranma immediately jumped up as Akane lunged forward with a punch. As soon as the Pig tailed youth came near the ceiling his hands flashed upwards and pushed down and back against the ceiling putting him in a forty-five degree angle that would land him behind his opponent.

When he touched down he did a quick mule kick before turning around only to feel Akane block it and try to flip him onto his face. Ranma grinned at his opponents attempt and kicked down at the floor with his bracing leg to push him upwards so as to use the momentum that Akane had given him by her attempt to flip him over. That way instead of being flat on his face he was coming upright after a nearly full revolution of his body. And in a movement that seemed as if it was an after thought his left hand flashed out in a poke that touched Akane directly in the solar plexus strait through her defense.

"Point Ranma!" Shakeera yelled out. "Fighters back to your positions." She called again.

Akane looked perhaps even more enraged at this point as Ranma had yet to take a serious stance with her. Ranma meanwhile had pegged her down to basic Kempo, a touch of Aikido, and only a rudimentary understanding of Tai Chi. Overall a good combination for the standard publicized competition. But not to good at actual combat or even some of the higher level dojo's that he'd been to in the past.

Deciding not to be quite so cocky anymore as he could see that it'd only enrage her further Ranma actually got into a stance this time. However he felt that the stance was only one that Genma and perhaps Shakeera would recognize. As his right leg was raised with the flat of his foot almost resting on his knee. His Right arm was across his body pointing downwards, with his left arm in a near blocking position in front of his chest.

As the match was about to begin again, Soun Tendo surprised Ranma-kun as the older man seemed to recognize his stance if Tendo's widened eyes were any sign of recognition. Shakeera almost groaned though as she had only seen one other person use this stance so far and that person was still back in China.

Akane however didn't seem impressed. In fact as she looked on at her opponent she thought that he was just trying to make fun of her.

"Begin!" Shakeera said and stepped back again.

Akane lunged forward once more, and this time instead of jumping upwards Ranma spun in place using his left forearm to block her frenzied punch away from him and his right hand to grab her belt and push just slightly to send her stumbling away from him. When Akane regained her balance and rushed him again he used the same tactic to send her stumbling away.

Once more after Akane regained her stance she rushed Ranma who instead of sending her stumbling, tripped her with his right foot after lowering it slightly. The second she landed face Ranma lunged forward and placed a knife edged hand on the back of her neck and held in a rigid position over the prone girl.

"Two Points to Ranma." Shakeera announced. "Winner, Ranma."

Everyone there watched as Ranma bent over Akane and offered her a hand to help her up. Akane however seemed to be far from happy about it and grumbled as she stood up refusing Ranma's offer of aid. As she was getting up the pig-tailed youth turned away from her to talk to Shakeera. Doing so he didn't see Akane snarl under her breath and pull a mallet seemingly from nowhere and raise the wooden instrument into a striking position.

Shakeera saw this though and pushed her friend out of the way, once Ranma was stumbling away the four-armed girl summoned her Psi-Shield and stepped forward to intercept the quickly lowering mallet on her shield. "Looks like you might want to reconsider that 'not teaching women' thing a bit Mr. Tendo." She said from her position behind her shield. "It looks like your daughter already has some of the fundamentals of your school down."

Akane stopped for a second and processed what Shakeera had said before her anger left completely. Once her anger was gone, her mallet disappeared in a quiet pop.

"Look, Akane." Ranma said as he stepped around Shakeera who had lowered her shield. "I'm sorry about insulting your family and tradition." Akane perked up a bit at this point. "I know that any woman can be a warrior. I wouldn't be much of one anyway since I turn into a girl with cold water if girls couldn't fight. Besides, with the strength of a gorilla anyone could do well in combat." He said with a grin only to see the business end of Akane's Ki mallet once more.

Shakeera and Soun stood above the downed Ranma as Akane regained her composure once more.

"Now that, he had coming." Akane said with a small sneer while she stood over Ranma's prone form.

**Scene Break**

Later on that day just before evening, Soun was sitting at his spot on the veranda that looked over the yard. He had a long pipe that he was gently puffing on every now and then he would pass the pipe over to Shakeera who would take a puff on it herself and hand it back while they sat there enjoying the quiet evening.

As the two of them were sharing the pipe Ranma came up and sat down next to Soun who offered him the pipe without a word. Ranma looked at the pipe and slowly shook his head before looking back over the yard.

After several more moments of tranquil silence Soun decided to bring up something that had been on his mind for the last while. "So Ranma, what do you plan to do with your life?"

"Huh?" Ranma answered smartly. "Whadja mean by 'dat?" He asked in reply.

Shakeera grimaced at Ranma's bad grammar, but let it slide this time as she was content to just sit and watch the peaceful evening sky.

Soun, however, didn't waste a moment to respond to Ranma's question. "I mean, what are you going to do? Teach Martial Arts, Study, become a Tournament fighter, become a careerist?" Soun stated, then he paused a moment before continuing. "These last few weeks I realized that besides Martial Arts I haven't done much with my life. And I just thought that besides marrying one of my Daughters that you should aspire to be more than what your father or myself were content to do."

"Hey Tendo-san, that was pretty deep. What brought that on?" Ranma said with a bit better grammar than his last question.

"Well, your father was here a couple of weeks ago. He was traveling around with a nice prince from some country near China. And he seemed to be the same Genma that I knew years ago, as if nothing had changed. It got me to thinking about what ifs and whether or not I wanted that life, or whether I wanted more." Soun leaned back a little bit. "Anyway, I've digressed. Have you considered what path you'll take in the future, and have you decided which of my daughters you'll marry?" He asked.

"Not yet Tendo-san." Ranma said thinking on everything that had happened so far. "Everything has been happening so quickly so far, until it settles down I won't make my decision." The contemplative youth said.

"Very well, but do not take too long on your decision."

**Scene Break**

"What, are you too good to walk with us?" Akane asked of Ranma who was up on the fence walking along as though it were normal to walk that high off of the ground.

"Hmm..?" He said and looked down at her. "Why would you ask that? This is good balance training."

"Then why isn't your girlfriend doing it too?" The temperamental girl said as she looked directly at Shakeera. Who of course just looked back at her, and then shrugged her shoulders after which she looked back up at Ranma to see if he wanted to field that question himself.

"Why aren't you up here?" Ranma asked Shakeera. "You're pretty good and it is good practice."

"ARE YOU SAYING I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Akane yelled out at him.

Ranma only put up his hands in a warding symbol "Hey, what bee got into your bonnet? I just invited my friend up here, not told you that you weren't good enough. If you are good enough then come up here and I'll show you how easy this is."

Akane just looked at him for a second then harrumphed and stormed off as Shakeera and Ranma stood there.

"What has gotten into her bonnet?" Shakeera asked before shrugging her shoulders.

"Not sure, why'd you dress like that anyway?" Ranma asked his companion who only shrugged once more as she continued to walk down the sidewalk in her female styled outfit that matched Ranma's clothes.

**Scene Break**

"TENDO!" Genma hollered out as he entered the Tendo estate. "TENDO SOUN, OLD BUDDY! I'M BACK!" He yelled out then looked over at his slightly depressed companion. "He should be here, we've only been gone a month or so."

"Or so would be right." Herb said as he thought back on the sight of his ruined Kingdome.

After a few moments Soun Tendo came running out of the house to see his old friend and the Prince that he had allowed to court his youngest daughter. "Saotome, how are you. Your trip may have been in vain however."

"How do you mean Tendo?" Genma asked with a slightly befuddled expression.

"I mean that your son arrived yesterday. Ranma went to school with my daughters and should return several hours from now." Soun said as he patted Genma on the shoulder.

Genma patted his friend back, and then used the pat to do a quick arm throw, which Soun shrugged out of. "That's the spirit Tendo. I thought that you seemed more lively than when I left. But back to my son… His curse? Is it.."

"Hmm…? You mean by him turning into a girl? Yes, he showed it to us after we discussed his engagement to either of my two elder daughters."

Herb coughed into his hand quietly. "If you two would excuse me, I have some thought I must attend to. And your boisterous nature is disturbing my personal Wa. I shall be by your pond Tendo-san."

Soun looked slightly taken aback by the formal and gruff statement by the Prince of the Musk. "What got into him old friend?"

"A long story, ideal for a game of Shogi and a bottle of Sake. Perhaps later would be a good time for that. But back to my son, he was male?" Genma nearly pleaded.

"Yes, Genma, yes he was. A strapping young man you have raised. And very assured of his prowess he is. Why he even accepted to honor the engagement even with a beautiful companion with him." Soun stopped for a moment in thought. "You do know of his companion do you not?"

Genma nodded, "If you mean a four-armed girl from an unknown place, then yes I know of her. She and Ranma had been kidnapped by the Amazons of China, that was why I was traveling." Genma shook himself quickly. "But you say that Ranma's curse was not locked? Oh Happy Day…" Genma turned and grabbed his old friend and training partner by the shoulders. "Quick then, the schools can now be joined. Which of your daughters did Ranma choose, I must know."

"He hasn't decided yet. But he said he would once he got to know them better."

Genma sighed in relief. "Good then." Looking directly into Soun's eyes Genma continued. "He must be married soon. If his mother-"

"His mother already knows. He is here on her request."

"What! How did he meet his mother? And he's still here?" Genma said in shock.

Soun motioned into the house and started to walk there, Genma followed and listened to his old friends response to his questions. "Yes, according to your son he had met your wife prior to coming here. In fact if he hadn't met up with her he may never had found out about the engagement. Also according to him your wife Nodoka insisted that he give it a chance. I take it that you have her support once again?"

Genma just stopped walking the second that Soun finished. "Her support? I don't even know if I have her love anymore… Old friend, let us retire to a game of Shogi. I have a lot to think on now. My son will return here this afternoon, it would not do to be caught unawares because I have ignored or blown off what you have relayed."

**Scene Break**

Shakeera stood there snickering at the expression on her friends face. "I can't believe that you got nailed like that." She said as she crossed her visible set of arms under her breasts. "I mean, to get soaked by an old woman out watering the dust on her walk."

"I can't go to school like this." Ranma-chan grumbled. "Well, I'll have to go home now."

"Wait… Let's go around that corner." Shakeera said and pulled her near look-a-like after her. "Let me cast my disguise spell on you, that way you can change back at your whim."

Ranma-chan looked at her weirdly for a second. "But wouldn't that make it so that you aren't disguised?" She asked her companion.

"No silly. I can keep multiple spells up at once. Besides, do you want to be late or known as a girl?" She asked simply. She also didn't have to wait long for Ranma-chan's nod to go ahead. Shakeera chanted a bit then waived her hands in front of her fellow not quite human red head. Once her hands finished their movement Ranma-chan's figure shifted to her male form.

"Is it done?" Ranma-chan asked. Shakeera reached into her pack and pulled out a small mirror and showed it to her cursed friend. "Hey, how come I'm still a girl?" Ranma-chan asked a bit curelessly.

"You're still a girl, because you haven't changed back yet. The disguise spell only masks your appearance. Oh yeah, try to deepen your voice a bit."

"What!" Ranma-chan squeaked out.

"I said Deepen, not squeak. Your voice hasn't changed, just your looks. Oh yeah, don't let anyone brush your breasts."

Ranma-chan just blushed at that comment. Shakeera watched as her magically disguised friends illusion blushed just like she new her friend would have been.

"C'mon or we'll be late." Ranma-chan said as she grabbed Shakeera's hand and ran towards where she thought the school would be. They made very short time to the school only to see Akane finish throwing a large sumo wrestler into a tree. Both of them grimaced in sympathy but darted into the school without sticking around to question why Akane was beating on the guy, or the several dozen other guys on the ground.

On their way to the school's secretary office Ranma-chan thought of something she wanted to ask her friend, and in a false male voice she started her question. "So, uhm.. How do you cast magic anyway?" She asked.

"Through lots of training and experience Ranma. But if you'd like I can start you on the basics as soon as you get simple Telekinesis down." Shakeera said as they stopped just outside the school's office so they could register.

Ranma-chan felt a bit abashed at this, as she had been having trouble not draining herself in the use of her Telekinesis. Shakeera had told her that she would not advance to anything more complicated or dangerous until after she had mastered that simple art of the mind. The two of them cease their line of thought as they are ushered into the office to start their registration.

**Scene Break**

A little bit earlier, and totally unbeknownst to the three students walking to school, a small slightly glowing humanoid spirit was floating along above them.

It watched them as it flew along. Sometimes muttering to itself, sometimes just staying completely silent. It even watched as the dark haired girl yelled something at the youth on the fence and took off running.

After a bit it watched as the dark haired youth landed on the ground and continued to walk with his red haired companion. Then its eyes grow very wide when the dark haired boy was splashed with water and turned into a red haired girl. After that the beings eyes went from dish sized to a slitted plotting gaze, while the spirit beings mouth turned up into a menacing grin as it watched as the other red haired girl cast a spell that made the neo-red head appear to be a boy.

Once the spell matrix was finished the small spirit being was able to see through the other similar magic in the area and saw the slightly blurred set of lower arms on the first red haired girl.

"Sonee', I've found you once more." It murmured. "Wha-" It said as it felt a pull from just behind it's navel. "NO NOT YET! I NEED TO FOLLOW HER! NOT YET! NOOooo…" it's voice trailed off as it seemed to be yanked back from where it had come from on the outskirts of Nerima.

**Scene Break**

The morning class went all right for Ranma-chan in her disguise field, as well as for Shakeera. Well all right except for the fact that Ranma-chan was extremely self-conscious of the fact that she was a girl right now and that she was being checked out by several of the other girls in the room.

After a few hours of that as well as Akane glaring at her for some reason, probably the attention she was receiving rather than anything else, Ranma-chan was ready for relief in any form. Luckily for her the lunch bell rang and she managed to high tail it over to the bathroom. One quick hot water hand and face wash and Ranma no longer felt the need to be disguised by the magic disguise field that Shakeera had placed on him that morning.

Shortly after he had changed back Ranma walked out onto the field where a lot of the students were milling about during their lunch break. As he walked over to where he had spotted the red hair of his friend and sensei one of the girls from his class came up and started to walk beside him without saying anything. Of course, Ranma didn't really know what to say so he just accepted her walking next to him, and also sitting next to him as he sat down next to Shakeera.

Shakeera meanwhile watched as Ranma came walking up with one of their fellow classmates walking demurely next to him, blushing a near nuclear red as she silently walked next to her friend. With one eyebrow raised the disguised traveler decided to keep her peace as both Ranma and the girl sat down.

"Made a friend Ranma?" She asked in a light teasing tone.

"Hmmm…?" Ranma murmured then looked at the girl again. "Hello?" He said to her and watched as she sat down next to the pigtailed youth.

"Hi" She said quietly, and seemed to be about ready to dart off. "Umm… can I ask you something Ranma-san?" The girl said. Upon Ranma's nod she continued. "Some of my friends were wondering if you two were siblings."

Ranma and Shakeera looked at her then looked at each other before they both broke down in laughter. The girl seemed mortified and was about to get up when Shakeera put a hand on her knee. "Sorry.. giggle about that. No there is no way that Ranma and I are giggle brother and sister." Shakeera sobered up after that. "Actually we met just several months ago, may I ask why you wanted to know?"

"Well, you both are dressed so similar, and your faces looked almost like twins would." The girl said calming down a bit.

"Someone put you up to this didn't they?" Shakeera asked. To which the girl bowed her head a little abashed. "Don't worry, we're not offended. May I ask your name?"

"It's Amaya I'm sorry about being to forward." She said and got up to walk away.

Shortly after the girl had left Akane showed up and sat down next to Shakeera. As she sat the raven-haired girl looked past Shakeera at Ranma with a level look in her eye. "What's so funny Ranma?" She asked evenly.

Ranma sat there for a moment before he answered. "Nothin, just one of the girls in the class asked a question."

"So, what was it?" Akane asked him and started to drink some milk.

Shakeera waited a second before she answered for Ranma. "Amaya wanted to know if Ranma and I were related."

Akane's immediate response was to spit take through her nose. The girl spluttered briefly before wiping her face with a napkin. "WHAT?" She demanded.

"Nothing much Akane. Just whether or not Ranma and I are brother and sister. It's really not that bad a question either as we both showed up in the same clothes and do look similar." Shakeera said in a slightly oblivious tone.

Akane took a look at her, then at Ranma and re-packed her lunch and quickly left.

Ranma-kun looked at his companion. "You did that on purpose didn't you?" He said.

"Yep. You know, she is fun to rile up." Shakeera said.

**Scene Break**

Akane had just arrived at her house when she heard something from the back yard. The slightly troubled teen went around to the back where she found Herb-chan practicing some form of meditation. The girl squealed in delight and nearly hopped over to her friend and gave her a tight hug, which interrupted the Princess of the Musk dynasties Chi building exercise.

"Hey Herb-chan. You're back!" She said from her tight hug.

Of course the girl in question felt highly twerked at not only having her meditation interrupted, but also being handled in such a fashion. If not for the fact that she was trying to woo the temperamental girl that was hugging her Herb-chan might have let loose with a chi blast right there.

"Yes, I'm back. Kindly let go now please?" She asked her friend and recently betrothed. Of course only Akane seemed to not know about Herb-chan's curse, but Herb didn't feel inclined much anymore to try to spend all her time in her uncursed form. Especially since having lost her Kingdome and vassals she had sunk into a heavy melancholy.

Akane noticed that her friend seemed a bit down. "Wanna spar? Touch or full contact?" She asked hoping that some physical activity would get the pink and purple haired girl out of her funk.

Before Herb-chan could answer the bubbly if sometimes temperamental girl Soun and Genma made their presence known by a very loud clearing of the throat. "Akane." Her father said. "Do you know if Ranma is on his way home?" He asked in a solemn tone.

"No daddy. I don't. Do you mind if Herb and I use the dojo?" She asked quickly.

"I don't see a problem with that Akane." Soun said and watched as his youngest ran with the other girl cursed young man that the Tendo patriarch knew.

Genma placed a hand on Soun's shoulder and was about to speak up when they heard another person announce their presence at the front gate. The terrible duo make their way to the entrance hall. Genma was about to great his son but stopped the second he saw both Ranma-kun and Shakeera come around the corner.

Ranma and Shakeera also stopped when they saw the elder Saotome. Shakeera looked at the older man whom she had not seen before but felt Ranma stiffen up a bit at her side. "You ok Ranma?" She asked quietly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her companion nod his head slightly. Shakeera decided to let Ranma deal with the man in front of her, but just in case he needed her she walks past Genma and drops her disguise field just as she passed him. She grinned inwardly as she saw his almost startled expression at her second set of arms suddenly appearing under her top set. "I'll be in the other room Ranma, holler if you need anything." She said and continued on her way.

"Boy!" Genma started. "Where have you been all this time." He says in an overbearing tone.

Ranma looked at Genma and stiffened a bit. "That's it? No how are you? No what happened?" he asked in a questioning tone. "I was training. Where were you old man?"

"Training? With women? Hah. Some training. What about that girl you were with. What type of training could she give you. Especially as most defiantly gaijan."

"Actually she's been a very good sensei. And training me in more than just a few techniques pops." Ranma stated in her defense.

"She's a girl, and weak. There's no way that she could give you adequate training." Genma said in a blustering tone. However he noticed that Ranma wasn't paying much attention to him, instead his son was looking just past him. Genma decided that Ranma probably wasn't playing a trick on him, but rather was actually looking at something so he turned to look. Only to see the young red haired and four-armed girl standing there with a cross look on her face and holding a glass of water in her lower left hand.

"Weak? So us girls are weak and can not give decent training." She said in an even voice and looked down at the glass of water. Genma watched in wonderment as the water flowed up and out of the glass into a shape reminiscent of a snake. Then the head of the water snake pointed in his direction and shot forward rapidly and struck him square in the forehead. Genma-panda stands there for a moment blinking before stomping out of the entranceway.

Ranma also stood there blinking as he watched the panda walk away. "I forgot about that." He said.

"Forgot about what? Shakeera said.

"That pops was cursed as well." Ranma said as he looked back at where his father had walked out of the building.

Shakeera looked over at where Genma-panda had walked away. "That was your father?" She asked.

"Yep. Though the Panda thing is going to take some getting used to. Suits him." Ranma-kun then shrugged his shoulders. "Hey I need to do some sparing… join me in the Dojo?"

**End Chapter.**

Authors Notes:No I am not dead. No this story is not dead. However it will be slow for the next several months (hopefully not years)

Feedback, comments, anything is appreciated. More chapters will be forthcoming as soon as I can get them flushed out.

TTFN To all.


	10. Chapter 10

A Different Type of Visitor (ADTOV) Chapter 10

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Thanks again to all my reviewers.

Work on ADTOV is still in progress. Book 2 ADTOW is started and will be posted, as it's own story on and I'm not sure about other hosts as so far this is also posted in Ranchan Crossing bridges. Oh well. On with the Story

Yet another thing has been brought to me by one of my readers. The interior dimensions of the LightWar deep space reconnaissance vessel. Specifically that you would not be able to fit a 14 foot by 7 foot room in a craft 80 feet long by 45 feet wide. I am here to tell you that not only is it possible, but done all the time with today's technology. Thinks of the spacecraft of Rifts more like Naval ships than Fighter Jets.

The quote I had received on it was specifically comparing the LightWar to a F-22 fighter. Which is of course almost 80 engines and control systems for its internals. And the F-14 fighter is even worse by the way.

I modeled the LightWar closer to the Typhoon Special Forces Insertion Vessel, which is very close to 80 feet in length… and has berthing for 20. That also includes one massive GTE engine; by the way a GTE is a Gas Turbine Engine… the same style of engine found on a Boeing 747. I've seen these beauties many times by the way (the engine, not the typhoon, only been on a typhoon twice while in Bahrain). Also you can fit 12 bunks and lockers into a 14-foot by 7-foot area. That is that standard size on US Frigates (Oliver Hazard Perry class by the way) for two bunking cubes, now imagine fitting 60 of those in a room 40 feet wide by 30 feet long. Cramped ne? That was the berthing I lived in for 4 years. And for those of you reading this on Mazokou Ranma is stationed on the Abraham Lincoln, a ship berthed at the same base that the ship I was on. Just email him for confirmation on how cramped berthing can be sometime if you don't believe me. Remember his ship is only 1000 feet long (about the height of the Empire States Building by the way, or just longer than a foot ball field) and can house more than 5000 people without hot racking. That's why Aircraft carriers are known as cities at sea.

I am working on a drafting of the LightWar right now and hope to have it prepared before this chapter is released. Check my A/N's at the end to see if I've completed it, if so and you'd like a copy then review or email the request to me.

Thanks.

On with the fic.

Chapter 10

Herb-chan blocked a high punch from Akane and watched as the raven haired girl immediately went into a low guard position and shot her left foot out to mess up Akane's position. If this fight had happened a week ago Herb-chan's attack may have born fruits. However Akane had finally been showing some forward progress in the art so instead of trying to jump over the kick, or even block it, the girl shuffle stepped into it so that her shin hit Herb-chan's shin instead of Herb-chan kicking her knee.

The Chinese sometimes prince, sometimes princess reacted by tapping a double tap against Akane's right collarbone with her left backhand in a cross attack. Akane grabbed the hand before it could tap her collarbone a third time, which was becoming a bit bruised in the attack, and tried to do a domination move only to find that her opponent had somehow slipped free and was nowhere to be seen. She looked around and still couldn't find Herb-chan till…

"Look Up Akane." Herb-Chan said from directly above the raven-haired girl.

Akane did look up and saw the exotic princess of the musk seemingly hanging on the ceiling with what she would later swear was a slight shimmer to the air around her.

"Never think that an opponent is going to only attack you from the front. They can attack you from any angle, and from any direction." She said as she flipped to the ground, her pink and dark violet hair streaming behind her. Akane watched as Herb-chan suddenly froze and looked around. "Just a second Akane, I need to investigate something" The girl said with a far off gaze in her eyes.

"I wonder what that was about?" Akane asked to no one in particular as she watched her friend walk out of the room, her Chinese clothes and silks shimmering a little with the air displaced by her movement.

The reason that Herb-chan had left was that she had felt a presence enter the area, and while she had been sparing with her friend and unknowing fiancée the presence had come closer. She had continued to dismiss it until shortly after she had used her floating technique. Shortly after that she felt the presence seem to spike in power, or focus; she couldn't tell which. After excusing herself from Akane the Princess of the Musk went to investigate.

What she found surprised her only just a little bit. In the house was a black haired boy in Chinese fighting tangs, and there was also Genma shouting something at said boy. Judging from the youth's stance and mannerisms Herb-chan thought that this could only be Ranma, Genma's son that the two of them had been attempting to track down. However, even barring the fact that Ranma had regained his male form, Herb-chan felt that Genma might just be a bit out of line with the way he was treating his son.

She was about to step in when her eyes widened as she felt a flicker of the presence she had felt earlier and realized that there were two of them, not one. One of the presences came from the son of her companion, Genma. The other was entering the room. And though this girl may appear to be a sibling or otherwise, there was no way she was entirely human. Herb-chan watched as the new red haired girl walked up to Genma after he had said

something rather misogynistic and she waved one hand causing the water to lift up out of the glass of water into the form of a snake that quickly struck at Genma strait into his forehead. That casual display of power, mixed in with the fact that the girl had four arms instead of just two left no doubts in the neo-princess's head that she was at least part draconic.

Not wanting to be seen Herb-chan engaged a seldom-used skill of her peoples and damped her Ki fires to a degree that she'd almost appear to be invisible to any decent martial artist. She needed to find out more about these two half dragons before she confronted them as she had thought that the royal line of the Musk was the last decedents of the Dragons. Especially as it now appeared as if she was the last of her kind.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-kun and Shakeera watched as Genma in his cursed form turned away from them and walked away after their argument with him.

"I forgot about that." Ranma said as he turned to Shakeera.

"Forgot about what?" His companion said.

"That pops was cursed as well." Ranma said as he looked back at where his father had walked out of the building.

Shakeera looked over at where Genma-panda had walked away. "That was your father?" She asked.

"Yep. Though the Panda thing is going to take some getting used to. Suits him." Ranma-kun then shrugged his shoulders. "Hey I need to do some sparing… join me in the Dojo?"

Shakeera was about to nod her head and follow when she sensed the presence of a supernatural being suddenly dampen its energies nearby. Not able to track it with her passive Psionics anymore the four-armed girl wanted to find the being rather than to spar for a bit. "Not just yet Ranma. I've got something to do first." Shakeera turned away from Ranma and headed further into the house.

Ranma, being Ranma just shrugged his shoulders and went to the Dojo. Once there he saw the youngest Tendo daughter practicing a beginners form of his school. The pig tailed youth watched her for a moment and was about to correct her on a stance when she noticed him and fixed him with a glare that spoke volumes about her opinion of him.

Ranma decided to just let sleeping dogs lie in this case and went about his own exercise, albeit under the intense glare of Akane.

**Scene Break**

Genma had finally gotten back into his human form and was stomping determinedly towards where he thought his son to be practicing. "BOY!" he yelled out as he closed on the Dojo. "GET OUT HERE!"

Inside the Dojo Ranma-kun and Akane had finally gotten into a sort of rhythm of ignoring each other or, in Akane's case, glaring balefully. At the sound of his father's bellow Ranma got a bit distracted doing a spiral kick while balancing on his right big toe and fell over onto the fire bucket in the room.

The instant elfin looking red haired girl was more than happy to follow her fathers second order to join him outside the dojo. Of course, she led with a flying jump kick towards her old man instead of a regular walk like most earth bound humans would have done.

**Scene Break**

The Trans dimensional warrior known as Akuma was walking down a road somewhere in one of the prefectures of Tokyo. He was staring intently into his red half visor that covered his left eye. Visible on the lens were several alpha numeric symbols in an unknown language and some form of targeting reticule that darted around the visor and paused every now and then to highlight something in the obsidian beings vision.

Akuma stopped beside a 3 meter high wall as his visor blinked something at him. "Last place of known use" he said to no one in particular.

He looked directly at the wall and could see through the red screen several outlines of figures moving around, and many lines that could be seen overlaying everything. "Cease mapping function Scanner. Living beings only right now." He said.

A passerby looked at the strangely dressed being talking to itself in an unknown language and decided to leave whatever challenger it was be. Akuma couldn't have cared less of course, as he was more interested in watching a small humanoid female tossing around a larger humanoid male.

"Weak beings. Not even capable of self flight." He said in a derisive tone in his home language. "Scanner, power level." Akuma demanded of his visor. "Hrmph. Lower quadrant power. Must be beginning warriors."

Then the girl managed to throw the larger male into a recession in the ground. Akuma figured it was some form of decorative water gathering or pool as there were several aquatic beings moving around in the area. Then the Scanner's readings fluctuated briefly and the silhouette of the humanoid male was replaced with a silhouette of an Ursine male.

"_Interesting, species morphing powers. Not common in humans in any dimension. But no active phase tech. These people could not be part of the crew of the LightWar." _Akuma thought to himself. _"Scanner must be malfunctioning. There should be at least one phase tech scanner or computer on this premises. If this is where it was detected that is." _

The being shrugged his shoulders again and turned away from the compound wall to continue his walk through the streets of Nerima.

**Scene Break**

Shakeera was searching out whatever it was that had hidden itself behind an energetic shield. She didn't want to use any of her more invasive Psionics while she was a guest in someone's home, but anything that could remover it's presence from her Psionic senses so handily was something she felt needed watching out for.

She listened for Ranma's footfalls as he left the house to go to the dojo then she silenced her own footfalls and opened herself to the energies of the house. Her vision took on an almost surreal aspect as lines sharpened and colors deepened, creatures seemed to jump out of the woodwork as she watched an ant make it's way across the wooden floor. Said ant appeared to her enhanced vision to fill her entire plane of view when she focused on it. Everything from the mandibles on its head to the hair like filaments on its back stood out in stark relief in the eerie light that composed this aspect of her mind sight.

Unfocusing from the ant Shakeera noticed a fly buzzing nearby. She turned her mind to look at the other creature in the room and saw how the fly was confused by the flat plane that it kept bumping into. As if it could not conceive that something could be there. Shakeera had to almost forcibly remove her attention from the bug at this point. No matter how many times she invoked this ability, the four armed girl was always taken slightly aback when she used her mind sight to look around and detect things.

Once the trans-dimensional girl had come down from her visual euphoria she then got onto the reason she had invoked her powers to begin with. The searching out of whatever being had dampened its life forces in order to remain hidden.

Looking around, and once more getting distracted by the confused fly, Shakeera was able to sense a being on the other side of a nearby wall. She was about to just go over and ask the being what they were doing when she got a slight mischievous grin and invoked another power of hers. (1)

To Herb-chan, the girl she was attempting to observe went from just simply registering on her awareness to being like a magnesium flare seen just inches from the face. The four armed girls life powers had spiked dramatically and blossomed into a battle aura as far as the princess of the Musk was able to determine. Figuring out that she had been found out Herb-chan released her technique that she had been using and walked around the corner to come within sight of what she felt would be an angry martial artist, or even worse an angry dragon. Only to see that the girl stood there like normal with a slight smirk on her face.

"I see you decided to stop hiding?" The girl said to Herb-chan who was mustering some of her regal air to her as an attempt to stave off the fact that she had been startled not to find an angry opponent.

"Who says that I was hiding?" Herb-chan replied to Shakeera's question.

"I guess you weren't then. So, what do you want?" Shakeera asked.

Herb-chan looked at the other girl for a minute, still caught a little flat footed and attempting not to reply in a petulant tone though she really wanted to. "I sensed another descendent of Dragons and wished to learn more about the being I sensed before introducing myself." She answered carefully.

"Dragon descendent? Not myself I'm afraid. You might have sensed Ranma however." Shakeera answered while she crossed her lower arms underneath her breasts and clasped her upper hands behind her back. "I'm descended from another pair of races."

"No, you are one of the Dragon clan, I can feel it even now. Though I have never seen one of the clan mates with six limbs, even if they were able to unlock their draconic heritage the most they would get for extra limbs would be wings rather than a second set of arms." Herb-chan said with her head cocked a little to get a better look at the other girl. "Did you fall into the springs of Jusenkyo and have them mix?"

"Springs yes. Mix? Probably not. This is my birth form, and my race is naturally four armed as we are descended from Rahu-men and Elves rather than humans mixed with any other genome. But Ranma and myself both fell into another spring and my energies and spells contaminated the waters somehow changing both Ranma's birth form and his cursed form. However you will need to take that up with my charge with me there prior to any challenges or confrontations." Shakeera answered and folded her upper arms over her lower arms creating a body language version of saying that she was now guarded against Herb-chan. "As to myself, I don't change with the waters as my race has some protection against this. What about yourself? I sense the supernatural about you, but not exactly what it is."

Herb-chan drew herself up a bit standing as tall as she could in her diminutive form. "I am Herb, Crown Prince of the Musk Dynasty." She said in a regal tone as to infer that Shakeera should already know. "Latest in the Line of the Dragon and Heir to our Empire." The last said in a rehearsed voice. Then she deflated a bit and after letting her shoulders slump a bit continued. "At least I was heir to the Musk empire. Something happened while I was aiding Ranma's father who helped to unlock my curse from a foolish mistake I had made. Just months ago our lands were rich, and our fortress was strong. When I returned just over a month ago the lands were left to fallow, and the keep was run down. My vassals were no where to be seen and a legend was left, one I have not a clue as to how to answer."

"Tough, though I do understand being one of a small race. My tribe is one of only three wandering tribes of Rahu-elf in the multiverse that we've been able to discover. Our numbers are fewer than 1000 in my tribe alone. And we have yet to discover another race that we can mingle with. So once we are gone, there may be no more of us… Ever." Shakeera unfolded her arms and motioned to the cushions in the living room. "Care to sit? I would like to hear of this legend that you say was left behind in your newly abandoned Kingdom."

"That's just it… wait… what is your name. I have given mine." Herb-chan said.

Shakeera blushed a little at that. "Sorry about that, Shakeera Sonee'" she answered as she sat down.

Once they were both seated Herb-chan went into her story. "When I returned to the lands of the Musk everything appeared to be in ruin, but ruin of an ancient age. Then I encountered a lone farmer near the abandoned keep. He claimed to be the last of the line of the Tiger, which should have been impossible as the line of the Tiger was one of the more prolific lines of our Dynasty. However there was almost no one else left anymore. We left his steading with two things. One thing was a painting and scroll, the other was a legend. Almost a riddle actually."

"A riddle? From a changed land… go on."

"The farmer said 'that two hundred years in the future that their prince would save their kingdom from the abandonment of two hundred years from the past.'" Herb-chan said with a far off look in her eyes.

"That sounds almost like a temporal disturbance…" Shakeera said quietly before she leaned forward. "Go on, I would like to hear more. This intrigues me."

**Scene Break**

The sounds of harsh combat could be heard over the walls of the Tendo compound as Nabiki Tendo came home after meeting with one of her contacts.

"What the?" She said to herself and entered only to see Ranma-chan go flying past her on her way to return a throw that she seemed to have just recovered from. Nabiki dodged the Panda that happened to be currently in a form of assisted flight as she made her way into the house only to find their four armed extra dimensional guest talking with the other aqua-transsexual that she knew in a strange dialect of what she could swear was mandarin. "Weird."

Nabiki walked into the kitchen to find her sister busily at work cutting some vegetables for dinner. "Hey sis, when did Mr. Saotome and Princess Herb get back?"

"Hmm? Oh this morning little sister. They've been at this though since Akane, Ranma, and Shakeera came back home." Kasumi said in an airy distracted tone. "Maybe Shakeera and Herb-chan would like to help with dinner?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Herb-chan?" Nabiki asked out loud trying to hold in a snicker. "A prince helping with dinner? Oh that'd be great!" She said holding her side lightly.

Kasumi looked over her shoulder at her sister and almost all of her vapidness vanished from her gaze. "Really? But who do you think should cook for them when they marry? After all, Akane's finally found a boy she likes and he's asked father for permission to woo her. So perhaps it'd be best if Herb-chan learned to cook so that they can get along." She said then let her features return to their airy calm that she projected to just about everyone and everything. "Besides, she'd look cute in an apron."

"You scare me sometimes Kasumi." Nabiki said as she walked out of the kitchen.

**Scene Break**

Akane had just finished up her evening work out routine and had wondered out onto the veranda overlooking the yard to watch Ranma-chan and Genma-panda fight some more. She sighed as she watched the diminutive red haired potential fiancée of her sisters spar full contact with her pandafied father. _"Why can't I be that good?"_ she wondered to herself not for the first time. She sensed someone come up and sit down beside her.

"Hey lil' sis. What's going on?" Nabiki asked Akane as she sat with one leg off of the porch and the other one pulled close to her so she could rest her arms on it.

"Nothing much, just wondering and wishing right now."

"About what?"

"Martial arts, people, life, you know the usual." Akane stated distantly.

"People? Like a certain person?" Nabiki asked raising one eyebrow suggestively.

Akane looked down and blushed, "Well maybe one person. I just wish she was a guy right now."

"What if she was like Ranma?" Nabiki asked as she was still convinced that her younger sister didn't know about the curse yet.

Akane looked at her sister crossly. "The Perv? No way! There's absolutely no way I want Herb to be like that Pervert Ranma. Who know's what he does to that girl body he has anyway!"

Nabiki waived her hands in warding to try to calm Akane down. "Whoa there Akane. I was just talking about the curse part. Not the motivations behind the person. Would you like it if Herb was like Ranma that way?" She asked.

Akane calmed down a bit then blushed and turned her head away from Nabiki.

"Ok then little sister. I'll have one cursed Prince/Princess of the Musk begging for your hand before you know it. I'll even give you the family special!" Nabiki said good naturedly as she stood up, a knowing gleam in her eye.

"WHAT!" Akane called out shocked. Her call managed to distract Ranma-chan enough in the yard to get belted by Genma.

"Hey! Watch it Old Man!" the red haired girl yelled out and charged back at her father.

Akane looked back at her sister after being distracted by the battling duo out in the yard only to see Nabiki waiving over her shoulder as she walked into the house. "Wait Nabiki!" She called out running after the sometimes mercenary minded middle sister.

**Scene Break**

It was a dark and stormy day that found Ryoga wandering around the outskirts of a Japanese town. Well, it felt dark and stormy to the eternally lost boy. And he thought that he was near a Japanese town though it might be Korean as far as his mapping and navigation skills were concerned. Now, if he could only find his Nemesis and beat him once and for all.

The lost boy's thoughts were interrupted by a lightning strike close by. However there was no sound of thunder to accompany the lightning strike. Only the light emitted from the bolt that struck a jagged course through the sky to impact in the center of the field in front of him. _"Isn't lightning supposed to just flash and be gone?"_ The lost boy thought to himself as he watched the writhing beam of high intensity electricity and plasma danced along the air in place and then split into a fork as the bottom separated out into two beams that were merged about ten feet in the air.

However instead of seeing the forest on the other side through the bolt's arc Ryoga saw a glade of evergreens and a cloaked woman on the other side that he was sure wasn't there the first time. He Jumped into the bushes behind him before she could catch site of him and waited to see what she would do.

The woman walked through the archway made by the lightning and turned around once she was on the other side. She lifted her arm which was bare except for a small woven metal bracer that was less of a protection and more of a ornament as far as Ryoga could tell. Underneath the bracer and elsewhere on her arm there were many tattoos of various things; swords, eyeballs, wolves, fireballs, lightning, flowers to name what the Lost Boy was initially able to observe. Something came flying towards her from the other side of the lightning arch and she caught the object. It seemed to be a canister of some sort.

**_Duantis core lebalcorinth da nin flez no Shak sen Kira!_** The woman called back into the place she came from. She watched as the lightning came back together into one solid stream of electricity then flew back up into the sky. **_Sarin… no Sonee'_** She said then turned into the forest opposite of Ryoga and walked away.

As soon as the strange woman was into the tree line Ryoga moved to follow her only to find himself on a Cliffside overlooking a village. "Where did she go?" He wondered out loud.

**Scene Break**

Akane was walking around the yard later in the evening looking for something to do. She hadn't been able to find her friend Herb all evening but had seen a guy that she'd seen several times before talking to the interloper from the stars that brought Ranma to the Tendo household.

She couldn't be sure but she was sure that they were talking about some form of spirit manipulation. However they might as well be talking in Mandarin for all she was able to understand. She shrugs her shoulder and walks away after making a valliant attempt to listen in out of curiosity rather than boredome. Or at least that's what she told herself.

The guy looked at her and smiled a friendly smile then went back to his discussion with the four-armed girl as if nothing was wrong or out of place about the whole situation.

Disgruntled that she could not understand them the raven haired girl went into the house to get a snack after dinner.

**Scene Break**

Cologne and Shampoo were just stepping off of a tramp freighter upon docking in Japan. Though later in the night there wasn't as much riff raff as the matriarch of the Jokentetsu was expecting. Shrugging her shoulders about it she and her charge walked towards the city. Just before they left the docks a small group of dock workers came out of one of the buildings they seemed to be hiding in.

"Ain't no way we're picking up broads from freighters no more." One of them voiced the words that they all were thinking at that moment.

"Amen." Two of the others stated.

"Let's go to the bar, we should be safe there. Hey I heard that there was a new girl that's pretty hot... Mai or something like that. She's local so she shouldn't be that tough." The other's nodded and the left the dock's to head off to another adventure.

**End Chapter**

(1)Psychic Ping – An interesting ability that causes anyone with any form of sixth sense or extra sensory perception to sense impending doom or disaster, or a large aggressive foe, or any combination of such. Basically it's a way of Psychically going "**BOO!**".

Author's Notes:Well, I'm not finished with the scanned copy of the LightWar bows in appology however I am still working on it.

Also I finally was able to come out of my writers block on this story. No clue as to the time I'll be able to update on CH 11, but it is finished being outlined already. I'm also finishing up the next chapter of Shimeru Family 1/2 and should be able to upload it soon. I'm also nearing completion of the first few chapters of several other of my fic's and should get them posted in the next few months. I'm also rewriting Weapon X Japan right now and will be accepting responses on a new name for it as I want to rename it when I finish the rewrites.

Thanks for reading.

Enlu Tarsonis.


	11. Chapter 11 continuation

A Different Type of Visitor (ADTOV) Chapter 11

Standard disclaimer, don't own Ranma 1/2, or Rifts. Wish I had some stock or shares but I don't. I'm doing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of any of my readers. May they continue reading my works after they read this.

Thanks again to all my reviewers. And sorry to everyone who's been bugging me for the past so many months about my stories. All I can say is that I've been BUSY.

Work on ADTOV is still in progress. Book 2 ADTOW is started and will be posted, as it's own story on fanfiction net and mediaminer org. I'm not sure about other hosts as so far this is also posted in Ranchan Crossing bridges. Oh well. On with the Story

Additionally, if you are reading this on FF net, sorry for any formatting bugs and also for the annoyance of the popups and adds. For some reason the hosts at FF decided to do what they did, it annoys me when I read but FF is still one of the best and most comprehensive fanfiction sites on the net.

**Chapter 11**

Ranma and Nabiki were talking. Nothing much new there, even if it seemed that Nabiki had Ranma on the ropes about something. Again nothing new there as in his short time in the Tendo Dojo he seemed to have a hard time matching wits with the odd girl that he had found himself engaged to.

The matter of his engagement never really seemed to come up in the last few days but that had just changed.

"So why are we talking?" Ranma-kun asked from where he sat on the dojo floor looking across at Nabiki who happened to be dressed in a pair of short shorts and a worn but loose sweater.

"We are talking about us Ranma-chan." She said in a cute but serious voice.

"What about us?"

"The fact that we're engaged mister." She said and leaned slightly forward. So far she had been polite, however the sometimes mercenary girl wanted to maintain the upper hand in this conversation. "The fact that there is a good chance that we'll be spending a lot of time together in the future." She leaned back and looked at him with a slightly hooded expression. "I would like to know more about where you see things oh great traveling martial artist." The last part said with not quite a smirk, although it was a close thing.

Ranma sat there for a moment digesting what his new fiancée has said. Just before Nabiki was about to get frustrated and start up again he spoke up. "I don't know about 'Us' as ya call it. I found out about the engagement from my mom about a week ago, then I show up here and find my pops who has yet to show up at home. To top that off I have this curse and I'm travilin with a gal from some other world. So I guess I'm still catching up."

"Woa," Nabiki started as she looked at her fiancé. "That was deeper than I figured you'd be able to come up with." She said.

"Shakeera's been teaching me some basic Psi. There ain't no way I could learn that without learnin somethin about myself." Ranma said with a shrug.

"What about your speech?"

"What?" Ranma asked with his eyebrows raised. "Oh damn, uh…. Don't tell Shaky please?" He said in a slightly pleading voice.

Nabiki smirked outright as she saw him cringe and then plead to her. "So I'm guessing that she doesn't like it when you talk like a 'barbarian'?"

"No she doesn't. I've been trying to watch my grammar for the last month. It's kind of hard sometimes." Ranma said with an embarrassed expression. "She says that if a warrior is to be of any use beyond a simple swing of the sword then they must be educated and smart. After spending a month with her and watching her repair her ship I've come to understand that." Ranma then looked up at Nabiki with a gleam in his eye. "But I can still usually take her in a sparring match if she doesn't pull out any of her Psi on me."

They both chuckled at Ranma's enthusiastic comment and then were quiet for a few more moments until Nabiki spoke up. "So what are we going to do about our engagement then. Because I know that my Father will not let up when he gets his mind set on something."

"I dunno." Ranma started then winced as Nabiki looked at him like Shakeera did for his bad grammar. "Sorry, I mean I don't know. Just wait it out for a bit then I guess."

"Waiting it out for a bit might not be a completely bad idea when it comes to dealing with our fathers Ranma-kun. However I have no intention of waiting for to long before making my decision. So I want to get to know you to see if you are worth it or not." Nabiki said and sat back a little folding her arms under her breasts. "Besides this is about more than just family honor."

"How do you figure?" Ranma said and looked at his fiancee.

"I figure, because I know my father. And unfortunately I know about the type of person your father is. They have something riding on this otherwise things would be different."

"I guess I can understand that. But what about your sister Akane?" Ranma said as he looked over at a pile of construction materials that appeared to be ready for personal demolition. "If I know my pops he would've wanted me engaged to her instead of you."

"Really? Why would he?"

"Because something else I've been doing this last month is analyzing my relations with others. And my father would not want me engaged to a free thinker. Especially a free thinking woman."

"I figured he was one of those." Nabiki said just as much to herself as she did to Ranma.

"One of what?" Ranma asked cocking his head to one side.

"A misogynist. And an idiot." Nabiki said and watched Ranma for a reaction. The one she got was not the one she expected. Nabiki had thought that Ranma would bristle and defend his father, or at least cringe a little. Instead he just shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'what can you do?' "Anyway Akane wouldn't be a good match for you. She's to proud to be second best."

"Why? From what I've seen she's slacked off in her training for years now. Though I did see that she was working hard now, but it's the hard work of a born again, not the hard work of dedication." Ranma said as he thought back to the few times he's seen Akane practice. "But if she's to proud to be second best then why would she slack off for so long?"

"Because, until shortly before you arrived, she was the best in Nerima. Or at least undefeated. However since you, your father, Shakeera, and Herb have shown up she's seen that there are people as far beyond her as she is from a starting student. And she doesn't like it. In fact if she was engaged to you, she'd probably be nastier to you than she is now."

At that Ranma cringes then decided to change the conversation. "So what is up with Herb anyway. I mean, she's just been hanging around here and seems to be traveling with pop."

The second that Ranma mentioned Herb in the female tense Nabiki started to snicker. She answered Ranma while trying to maintain a calm air to her. "Ranma, Herb has the same curse as you."

"Huh, you mean she turns in to a guy with cold water?" He asked reverting to his old dunce like behavior.

Nabiki finally let out a laugh at the expression of her new fiancé. "No. her girl form is her cursed form. She's actually a prince of the Musk Dynasty or whatever that is. Apparently she was cursed at Jusenkyo when she was training to overcome something that was hindering her in helping your father find you. She and Genma showed up here about a month ago while coming back from searching for some sort of open water kettle from what I gathered." Nabiki thought for a second then continued. "Oh, don't mention the curse to Akane. Herb likes her and right now Akane likes herb, but you've seen my younger sisters attitude towards men."

"You don't strike me as someone who would just tell me that for free. What's your angle Nabiki?" Ranma asked looking directly at her. He knew that her last statement wasn't truly an afterthought like she made it out to be.

Nabiki cringed internally at Ranma's comment. _"Damn, he is sharper than I gave him credit for." _While externally replying. "Herb and Father have made it worth my while. I won't go into details, but two weeks before you arrived Herb had a talk with Father about Akane." Nabiki then turned towards the open walkway and looked outside. "And for that piece of information I want you to stay on your best behavior around Akane, I don't care if she starts anything, you just behave."

Ranma pouted a bit at being warned like a kid then smirked a bit as he thought up a counter. "Fine, I'll do that. But back to our original conversation. You want me to hold up my part of this engagement right?" He said with a knowing smirk.

"Yes, of course, and I've already told you what I expect." Nabiki said wondering what Ranma was getting at.

"Then you need to hold up your side as well."

"And what side is that?"

"Training. According to Pops and your father this engagement is to 'Unite the Schools'. You need to get yourself up to snuff, I see you are still fit so you must do some exercise. But you don't move like a martial artist and I don't think I've seen you do any practice yet. So it's time to start again."

**Scene Break**

Later that same day Ranma was walking around the school really bored. The reason for his wandering the school hallways was because Shakeera was currently looking something up in the Library. Today had been relatively uneventful but at least he seemed to be getting less notes on his desk than the prior day. As he was turning a corner he saw a slightly taller youth dressed in a Hakima with a Boken tucked into the waistband. Ranma was not to sure why someone from the Kendo club would be wandering around near the Library but decided to leave it be as he was just waiting for Shakeera to finish up in there.

Just as he was about to do some isometrics in the hallway to alleviate his boredome Shakeera came out of the other room and turned to close the door only to find the other youth standing in front of her.

"Lovely vision of this hallway... perhaps you would grant me the pleasure of your company for the evening?" He asked while bowing slightly to her and somehow producing a red rose from nowhere that held out near to her face.

Shakeera meanwhile started to blush but then got a cross look on her face and turned to leave him behind while she grabbed Ranma's hand.

"Hold Varlet." The strange youth called out and grabbed Ranma's elbow, only to have the pig tailed youth reverse the hold and pinned the kendo garbed to the ground. When Ranma started the move Shakeera quickly released her grip on her companions hand. Once the kendoist was on the ground he gave a quick oomph and drew enough breath to yell "UNHAND ME!"

"Feh, no problem, as long as you do not grab at me again." Ranma said as he stood back up and released his hold on the other youth's arm. "And I'm guessing that Shakeera doesn't want anything to do with you otherwise she would have just answered you."

The hakima clad boy stood up and dusted himself off. "Knave, know that you have assaulted one of the Scions of the House of Kuno. And for that you shall be unforgiven." He took on a more pompous air and pulled out his boken. "But for your obvious steeling of the heart of this fair maden of our school I Kuno Tatewaki the Shooting Star of Furinken High Denounce your debaucherous ways and challenge you to defend yourself!" He yelled and moved to strike Ranma.

**Scene Break**

Akane was having a conundrum at the moment. Specifically she was wondering lately about the morning attacks on her and all the extra unwanted attention that she kept receiving at school from not just the nutcase Kuno but also from the other boys in her class that kept trying to get her to go out with her on dates or worse.

Not knowing what to do about them she went to the person who seemed to have the best understanding of how to deal with things and people. "Kasumi, can I ask you something?"

Kasumi turned at the sound of her youngest sister's voice behind her in the kitchen. "Go ahead little sister." She said kindly as she turned back to cutting the vegetables for the next meal.

"How did you deal with boys in school?" Akane asked not quite coming out and saying what was really on her mind.

"Boys? I never really had to deal with them I guess. Why do you ask? Is there a boy you like?" Kasumi asked.

Akane shuddered a bit at the last question. "No, nothing of the sort. They just bug me so much sometimes. Always attacking me with promises of love and bothering me with perverse comments." Akane said as she was looking down. "Did you have to deal with that in school?"

"Oh, heavens no. I just told them they'd have to wait their turn." Kasumi said vapidly though Akane could swear that she could almost hear her older sisters snicker. Then what Kasumi said registered on her and the youngest Tendo but Akane was not sure if she wanted to believe that of her sister. Especially as Akane often looked up to Kasumi as her model of what a woman should be like.

"Thanks anyway Kasumi." Akane said and edged out of the kitchen to find her way to the dojo. If Kasumi was unable to help her figure out what to do then she figured that most people would not be able to help her either.

After she left Soun walked into the kitchen and reached for one of the bean pods that Kasumi had just cleaned. Just as he was about to touch it a wooden spoon seemed to materialize out of nowhere and thwack him on the back of the hand. As the Tendo Patriarch rubbed his hand He looked over at his eldest daughter only to find her serenely cutting some vegetables on the cutting board and using both hands for the task. Looking around he couldn't see anyone else and decided to put the strange occurrence off as one of the house spirits was aiding his eldest daughter.

Putting the phantom spoon thwacking out of his mind for a moment Soun turned to Kasumi. "Daughter, did I just hear Akane right?" He asked calmly while still rubbing the part of his hand that had been abused.

"About what father? The boy's? I admit that boy's can be somewhat of a problem, after all boy's are so immature they don't really know how to treat a woman right. That's why they are so boring." She said and transferred the cut vegetables over to a bowl and got started on some form of meat that Soun could not readily identify.

Soun thought on that for a moment before asking his next question. "If boy's are like that what about girls?" He said as his daughter seemed to be in one of her more profound or maybe it was just that she was in a more cynical but profound moment.

"Oh, girls are worse of course. Always expecting boys to do it for them and to read their mind. And no girl would ever dream of listening to a mere boy. That's one of their problems as they expect the boys to know what they want. No a girl needs to grow up into a woman and boys need to grow up to be men. Then their problems become real and they can at least talk to each other."

A few moments of silence drifted between the two of them until the Tendo Patriarch snapped his fingers and left the room to go and find Herb. It didn't take him long as Soun found the young man sitting in the living room fiddling with the Television remote control. Soun grabbed it and turned it around to point towards the TV instead of into Herb's chest and pointed at the power button.

Once Herb had managed to thoroughly freak himself out with the loud blaring of a Japanese pokey commercial and figured out how to turn the demonic invention back off Soun started to speak. "Son, I've been thinking. I would like for you to stay beside Akane more, she needs some help and guidance and you are probably the best person for that." As Herb was digesting those words Soun took the younger mans expression to mean that he understood and got up to go find his old training partner.

That left Herb sitting there trying to figure out what the mustachioed man meant. Not quite understanding but figuring that there was at least one person in the house who could understand some of the mercurial nature of his host and potential father in law Herb went to find her.

A couple of quick raps on a door and he was rewarded by the sound of the middle Tendo's voice coming from inside of her room. "Time is Money. Talk or go away."

**Scene Break**

On his way to the Tendo's where Ranma had made a temporary home while he worked out his tentative relationship with the middle daughter he thought back to the fight with that Kuno kid. He started out very annoyed, but as his thoughts progressed he got less annoyed and started to see some of the humor in the situation. Especially in how the older youth had lost a great deal of his drive as soon as Shakeera had left the room and then had left swearing to fight another day.

Though he saw the humor of it, Ranma still couldn't believe the nerve of people like that. Thinking that other's wanted them, or even cared about being with them while attacking yet others for perceived slights. He had seen many people like that on the road with his father, and for the most part they were just hot wind though a few did actually have enough skill to make a halfway decent showing of themselves. This Tatewaki though was a cut above most of that cloth. Ranma could sense some deeper skills residing in the boken wielding boy, skills that he had not yet been shown. He hoped to have a chance to test himself against those skills, but not because of a girl or for pure bravado. Rather Ranma wished to test himself against them as few of the sword wielders he had ever encountered measured on the same yardstick that he held himself to.

Ranma was pulled out of his contemplation quite rudely at that point by a cold wash of water that covered his, now her feet through waist. She looked down at the slightly muddy watter dripping off of her silks and groaned. "Great, now I get to slosh my way home." Looking at the car driving off that had splashed the puddle up onto her she cinched up the drawstring on her pants and kept on walking.

**Scene Break**

Not to far away from where Ranma had another example of the capricious nature of cold water Ryoga found himself hard pressed against a slim but well built lavender haired girl wielding a pair of what he originally thought was small beach balls on the end of a pair of sticks. That thought though had been quickly dashed though when the first one connected with his shoulder. Though not as painful as some other blows he had received from masters, they still stung and caused him to stop underestimating the beautiful girl in front of him. He was just grateful that the girl was wearing a form concealing bodysuit with a breast plate covering her breasts and shoulder guard over one shoulder. He was sure that if her face was anything to show for the rest of her body that she was very very well proportioned and that if she was wearing some of the clothes he'd seen Japanese or Chinese girls wear that he wouldn't be able to face her or properly defend himself.

After another set of assaults by the girl with the oddly colored maces Ryoga pulled out his battle umbrella from his pack and started to block her in earnest while trying to figure out what she was saying. Originally he had gotten into this fight with her shortly after he had shouted out his curses to the youth who had been a thorn in his side for so many years. The last thing he had been expecting was to have a lavender haired warrior from another area assault him verbally and when he wasn't able to answer her she pulled her weapons out from who knew where and started to attack him. So far the desert nomad looking youth had been able to hold her off, but he had not gone on the offensive yet in the three or four minutes that she had been attacking him with those ridiculous looking weapons.

Ryoga had been about to try a tricky disabling maneuver he had learned from a traveling monk when an old voice from behind.

"Ting zhi Xian Pu. ta bu bi zhi he zai tong ban." (1)

He turned to face where the old woman was who had spoken in a dialect of Chinese that he only caught bits and pieces of. Ryoga was slightly startled by what he saw though, instead of a stoop shouldered elder, or a wizened older woman, what perched atop the staff reminded him of a Kappa (2) taken human form with very long white hair.

"Sorry for my heir's attack on your person young traveler. She had heard your cursing of a 'Ranma' and demanded to know a few things. But she had forgotten to use your native tongue" The last was said with a glare to the now slightly abashed looking Xian Pu.

"What do you know of Ranma?" Ryoga said trying not to spit out the vile name as it left his tongue.

"We know that you seem to hold a grudge against one of my wards." The wizened old woman said and hopped her staff closer to the wandering youth. "What is it that he has done to inspire your wrath?"

"You could never understand the hell he has put me through old woman." Ryoga said while striking a pose that to a younger person may have seemed empowered or confident but he had a feeling that the ancient woman in front of him was less impressed.

"I may, or I may not. But I still have inquired kindly. Since you insist on being a foolish youth I may instead release my heir to continue her attack on your person. But instead I think we will just be on our way." With that the old woman used her staff as a pogo stick and bounced off while her youthful heir swung the twin colorful maces behind her back where they seemed to disappear and jumped up to a rooftop nearby on the same path and shortly disappeared.

"What was that about?" Ryoga asked to himself before turning in another direction and trudging his way along in his quest for vengeance.

**Scene Break**

In the large residence that was the Kuno Mansion Tatewaki was wandering about deep in thought. To any who knew the youth they could see that he was rather consternated on the subject of women. To those who knew him best they would think that is was on his infatuation with Akane Tendo, but they would be wrong in this case. This time he was pontificating on the rare beauty of a oriental born red haired maiden. He had heard of the rare flower that would bloom but once in a generation and that many of these women were highly sought after as women of either influence or destiny.

Of course he failed to even think that the girl that he was mooning over may have dyed her hair. But thus was the failing of many men when they found something to ignite their fancy. Luckily for the youthful Tatewaki the girl in question was a natural red head. But as for her influence and destiny? His mind would either have shut down or become even more obsessive if he knew of their otherworldly links.

**Scene Break**

"Hey Shakeera, what'cha reading?" Ranma said while perched above her bed in the Tendo Guest room. He was dressed in a black tank top and black shorts and looked like he had just gotten back from a workout. Shakerra meanwhile had dropped her illusions and was sitting on the bed in a similar tank top but had a long pair of yellow pants on as well. She had herself propped up on a set of pillows with her lower arms, while her upper arms were holding the book open and one arm tracing words in a paragraph while her other hand was tracing words in another language in another book printed on some form of metallic paper. As Ranma watched the words on the metallic sheet shifted quickly to a clicking sound that Shakeera made.

A few moments of not hearing anything from her other than the odd clicking she made that seemed to cause the metallic sheet to reform itself into another page had Ranma's skin nearly itching in boredome. So he instead of speaking out loud waived a hand in front of Shakeera's eyes trying to get her attention. Only to be rewarded by finding himself floating in the air held aloft by his four armed companions telepathy.

"I heard you the first time Ranma. I was trying to finish finding this reference first. Translating Trade 5 into your Japanese is a tedious process." She said and then made another clicking sound followed by what Ranma swore was a sharp screeching intake of breath which was immediately followed by the metallic paper rolling itself into a roll and sliding up into her lower left arms forearm bracer. "Memory Paper, made by the T'Zee. Not very useful in combat, very useful in archiving." She sad and then sat up. "I was referencing a technical manual I had picked up from your school's library against some older supporting technology I require to rebuild some of the control circuits of the LightWar. I hope I don't have to rebuild an industrial sector by myself to get it to work." The last said with a sigh.

"Well, do you want to do some training?" Ranma said from an upside down position he had maneuvered into in the air while under the assisted flight of Shakeera's Telekinesis.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, let me set you down first." Shakeera said and waived her upper right arm in a particular motion that caused the Jusenkyo cursed youth to flip upright then float gently to the floor. "Not right now Ranma. I'm trying to finish cataloguing the differences between my ship's electronics and your countries electronics. Maybe later?" She said and stood up to get a good stretch in.

Ranma took his queue to leave at that time figuring that sitting around bugging a telekinetic that could also mess around with magic and a few other things that he didn't want to think about would not be the best for his health. So he quietly left the room and immediately found himself bumping into his fiancé. "Yo Nabiki. What's up?"

The middle Tendo daughter looked at Ranma for a moment before grinning a bit and tossed the glass of water onto him turning him into a girl.

"Hey, whad'ja do that for!" Ranma-chan said as she pulled her now wet bangs from in front of her eyes.

"Just wondering about your curse Ranma-chan. How does it feel anyway?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Ranma had a feeling that his fiancé was more interested in knowing about how her guy side felt than the girl however, but didn't feel like playing into her games at this moment. "Well, it's hard to throw punches sometimes with these." She said and hefted her boobs up with her hands. "And walking is very different, have to swing my hips differently if I don't want to chaff my thighs a little."

"I didn't know you would be so frank Ranma-chan. I thought you were more manly than that about your form." Nabiki said with her eyebrow still quirked. "I mean, even though you have this curse when I first met you you struck me as a person who was intent on upholding the views of 'Manliness' and your father painted you as a 'Man amongst Men'. So, why the frank feminine opinion. Accurate though it may be."

Ranma-chan let go of her breasts shortly into Nabiki's questioning, and stayed silent for a few moments after the last couple questions and comments. Finally when she answered it was in a slightly quieter voice. "I've had a lot to think on this last few weeks Nabiki. And I think I've changed somewhat in my outlook on life. Before when it was just me and my pops I was interested in only the Arts. If it wasn't about the Art and bettering my skills as a fighter I thought that it wasn't needed to be a 'Man.' But then everything was taken from me it felt. However, as I was getting used to my new body I was amongst the Jokentetsu. A race of Chines Amazons by the way-"

Before Ranma could continue further Nabiki interrupted. "Amazons from China? I know you have been traveling with an Extraterrestrial from the Future, but now I know that you are just pulling my leg."

"No, they are really warrior women. Though their men fight too, but for the most part all of their leadership and upper caste are women. Had some rough times there when I was in my guy form by the way." Ranma-chan then leaned back against the wall and made an attempt to blow her wet bangs up but only ended up looking like a miffed pixie with a pout when she couldn't get them to move with her breath alone. "They look down on men more than any culture I've encountered looks down on women. It's made me pretty glad to be back in Japan actually."

"Wouldn't you have problems with your current form then?" Nabiki asked as her curiosity started to get the best of her. She had never met someone who really could say that they could experience both sides of the gender coin. And not from a surgical view either. Even though her upbringing said such a thing should be just plain creepy, she couldn't help but feel a slight form of morbid curiosity. Plus she had already knoticed that Ranma-chan had a much easier time relating and conversing than Ranma-kun did. At first she had thought that it was because it was definitive proof that girls really were smarter than boys. But then she started to watch her fiancee's traveling companion and had to change her mind on that and realized that it was more that as a girl Ranma had less training on how to act so he was emulating Shakeera rather than his father. As a guy Ranma seemed more inclined to rash actions and impetuous decisions. However that dichotomy was starting to grow on her, especially when she was either curious or wanted some girl time. Now if she could only get Ranma-chan into sleep over mode…

"Huh?" Ranma-chan asked intelligently, well intelligently for a ditz. "Whad'ya mean by that? Of course I have problems. Do you have any idea how bad these jiggle?" Ranma-chan said pointing towards her breasts. "And they ache something fierce after practice. How do you girls deal with it?"

"Bra's Ranma baby. But that's not what I was referring to. I meant how do you feel others treat you as a girl?"

"Oh, that's easy. They treat me better, and don't seem to expect nearly as much out of me. Plus I seem to get better portions of food when I go out to eat."

Nabiki just looked at the shorter girl a bit nonpulsed for a moment before stating "That's because those guys treating you better are hoping for something more than a smile Ranma-chan. I can't have my fiancé going around teasing guys without at least knowing what she's doing." She snapped her fingers and got a gleeful and slightly predatory look in her eyes. "That's it! Later we're going to go to the mall. But first, I need to go check on something. So I expect to see you in this evening for a night out at the mall!"

**Scene Break**

"Nabiki, I would speak with you." Herb-kun said as he saw the sometimes mercenary girl walking towards another part of the house.

"What can I help you with Prince?" Nabiki asked in a pleasant but slighty bored tone. With Ranma and her fiance's traveling companion it was a touch easier to let her guard down. But she was still trying to make heads or tails of the Musk Prince from China. Regardless of any help or aid the youth had given to her soon to be father in law she had her reservations. Especially since the guy was wishing to pay court to her baby sister. After all no one could hurt her family, not if she had anything to say about it.

"I wish to know how to get closer to your sister Akane. I have been troubled by my past, and now need to do more than just court a female from your country. But I find that she is indifferent to me in my birth form, though pleasant in my cursed form. Why would that be?" He asked with a stiff posture.

Nabiki looked at him for a moment. She did have to admit that the Prince was a fine looking catch, even though the pink and purple hair would take a while still to get used to. At least he was not dressed in his combat gear that looked like something that belonged in a Bishonen Manga rather than in real life. However she did not know where he had received the emerald green silk kimono that he was wearing as she had never seen him carting luggage around.

"Well, first you would need to go to school with her. Akane has some friends there, but no guy friends. Also you should probably go to school as a girl though." Nabiki said trying to keep a snicker from her voice. She may be trying to make sure that everything went smoothly with her and her fiancé, but that did not mean that she couldn't have some fun. And besides it would be good for the prince to see what it is like in real world especially the real world of being a girl. After a moment though she saw a look of confusion on Herb-kun's face. "Besides, I don't think that my little sister know's of your curse. That's why she's indifferent to you boy side. She has had a tough time with guys at school and doesn't have much trust for them yet. If you are around Akane as a girl but make sure not to abuse the situation then she will warm to your guy side in no time. Plus it would give you a chance to see other places besides our house and China." Nabiki added the last almost as an afterthought.

"I will give thought to this Tendo-san. Thank you for your insight." Herb-kun said and walked off to the porch to sit down and contemplate things for a while.

**Scene Break**

After Ranma-chan's curious encounter with Nabiki she decided to head out into town for a bit to see if there was anything to do. So she quickly changed out of her red shirt and pants into a yellow short sleeved shirt and brown pants as her first outfit was still wet.

She first went into an ice cream parlor and batted her eyes at the attendant when she was ordering her cone. After receiving the extra scoop and making short work of the whole cone she fished into her pockets to see if she had any more change. Happy that she seemed to have enough for another cone she jumped up saying a quick hurray. Unbeknownst to her several of the guys in the shop were watching in awestruck lust at the cute red haired girl that was bouncing so bubbly in the shop. On the other side of the room a guy even took several pictures of her with his camera, but again that went unnoticed. However she did get some extra ice cream on her cone for her little bubbly outburst.

After saying a quick but nice goodbye to the guy behind the counter that had inadvertently given her near 3 times the amount of ice cream for the money she had paid Ranma-chan decided to much more slowly enjoy this final treat while walking along. After a few minutes of walking she had gotten the sugary concoction down to just a bit of the cone left while on the other side of a park wall. Just as she was about to take the final bite she heard a wicked laughter coming from the other side of the wall so she decided to jump up and see what was going on.

What she saw on the otherside amazed her. Not at the skill per se, but more as the ridiculousness. A single girl in a brown long skirted school uniform was using a gymnastics ribbon to keep a small group of bandaged people nearly on the ground wincing from the pain of the strikes. At first she thought it was because the four bandaged people had probably attacked the ribbon wielding girl but then she looked at them and at the raven haired school girl and watched her mannerisms like Shakeera had been teaching her.

After nearly a full minute of watching the gymnastic tool wielding girl strike and humiliate the other people Ranma-chan had enough. She popped the last bit of ice cream into her mouth swallowing it quickly and leapt in a parabolic arc that would land her right in the path of the racing ribbon. Once gravity had taken effect upon the red haired girl she leaned forward watching the path of the ribbon carefully as she didn't want to get snapped with it either. Once she had snagged it out of the air she thrust her feet down carefully to finish her leap and faced the school girl at only a few paces away.

"Don't'cha think they've had enough?" She asked with a schooled expression as she was still evaluating the girl in front of her.

The expression on the girls face went from manic glee to almost shocked reverence to a calculated annoyance in the space of a heartbeat though Ranma-chan didn't miss the shock that was there for but a moment.

"You are not a normal girl to be able to catch my ribbon." The raven haired school girl stated almost as if to herself. Ranma-chan let go of the ribbon but stayed in-between the possibly deranged girl and her victim's to make sure that the girl didn't attack her prior victims again. "We shall meet again, and until that time remember the name of Kodachi Kuno the Black Rose!" the girl yelled out as she jumped to a far wall and bounded away.

"What a nut ball." Ranma-chan said to herself then turned around to the people in bandages. She was about to tell them to get up and act like men when she took a closer look and noticed that all of them were actually girls, but they were of a very athletic build and with the bandages she had almost mistaken them for what they were. "Are you girls alright?" She asked instead.

"Does it look like we're alright?" the lead girl asked as she pulled part of her bandage away from her mouth so she could talk. Ranma-chan noticed that her lower lip and jaw was heavily bruised and that the amateur bandage job at best just kept the air from it.

Ranma-chan thought for a second on why the rather loony acting other girl would've attacked them when the lead bandaged girl spoke up again. "We're the gymnastics team from Furinken, that girl attacked us to force us to disqualify from our event next week." She said starting to cry a little. "We had come here to try to even the field but in our injured condition we were not a match for her."

"So what are you going to do now?" Ranma-chan asked nicely.

**Scene Break**

A little bit later a couple of the injured girls are in Akane's room with Ranma-chan sitting on the raven haired girls bed while watching them talk with his fiance's younger sister.

"Please Akane, we need you to do this!" One of them said while on her knees in front of the youngest Tendo's bed. "There's no one else who can do it!"

While the girl was pleading with Akane, Ranma-chan was doing her best not to snicker. She knew that though Akane was good, she had a tendency to get a bit myopic where her skills were concerned to the point of ignoring a weakness rather than protecting it. However the red haired girl kept quiet while waiting to see how this resolved.

She didn't have to wait long of course as Akane stood up and in a voice and posture probably meant to inspire confidence and pride in one's school, self, and country Akane bravely spoke out. "Of Course I will, for the Honor of Furinken High!"

At the last Ranma-chan was not able to hide her groan or grimace fully.

"What-" was all she was able to get out after Akane turned and glared at the neo-girl.

**Scene Break**

Ranma-chan was shaking her head after her encounter with the gymnastics girls from Furinken High and Akane. She had narrowly gotten out of the room after her faux pas and she was in the process of hunting down some hot water to turn herself back into at least the physical resemblence of her birth form. '_Sometimes, just sometimes I wonder how everything happened.'_ She thought to herself in slight bewilderment. Her physical change from humanity though outwardly minimal beyond the pointed ears and slight slitting to her eyes hid the much more drastic changes that she was beginning to understand better within her body. And his as well she was beginning to find, but those changes were different.

In her girl form she had been tracing out her Ki paths during exercise and meditation and she could distinctly trace a second heart's energy signature slightly below and behind the heart she had thought was her only one. However in her guy form this heart did not exist. Though in her guy form she was finding some extra muscles along his back, muscles so far that she could not figure out their use, especially as they weren't connected in the same way to her bone or muscle structure in the same manner of her regular muscles. And his leg mass seemed to be increasing a bit, as if he needed to carry more weight than he actually was. '_As if more weight would actually be a problem'_ She thought to herself as she remembered some of the heavier things she had been forced to lift in the past month. Things such as boulders more than twice her size, and once a three meter boat that had been capsized she had lifted that complete with its waterlogged cargo from the mud mire it was in to help out the people she and her companions had encountered back with the Jokentetsu.

Her reminiscence was interrupted when she felt a presence, at first it caught her off guard as it was very akin to her danger sense that her fool of an old man had beaten into her. But after just a moment she found that it was not that but another feeling. One she sometimes got from Shakeera and sometimes not. As she was starting to bristle at not understanding the feeling she turned the corner to see the Prince of the Musk standing there.

Initially the two of them bristle, but after a moment both the Prince of the Musk and the itinerant martial artist calm down enough to be at least cordial. "What do you want Herb." Ranma-chan said in a neutral tone. She still didn't know why she felt animosity towards the descendent of dragons. It wasn't even as if she had spent enough time around him to get to know him. In fact Ranma-chan thought that the two of them should get along great as he had a very similar curse to hers. But something in the other youth just plain set her off.

For Herb it was similar, upon every site he had gotten of the sometimes red headed buxom girl or the taller muscled raven haired boy Herb had just felt a sort of competition or rivalry.

Both youths stand there looking at each other for a few moments before Herb speaks up. "I understand that you have an honor pledge to one of Tendo-san's daughters." He said in a mostly formal voice.

"Yeah, I do…" Ranma-chan said trailing off after the last bit as she had no clue why the princeling would start off with this line of questioning.

"That it does not matter which one specifically, but that it is for the purpose of joining your families styles of martial arts." He said continuing his line of reasoning.

Ranma-chan looked at him and suddenly understood why the other youth was following this line of questioning. She waived her hands in front of her as she continued. "I am not after Akane." She exclaimed and settled her arm waiving down. "I'm engaged to Nabiki and even then we don't know if it will go further." She said quickly.

"See that it does, for I would see if my way would be with Akane first." He said in such a way that if the two youths were feral cats then the statement would be in the form of a proper scent marking of their territory. Almost as soon as Herb finished his statement however his demeanor changed from a bristling rival to just another youth trying to figure things out. "So, if you have no interest why the joining of schools?" The prince asked in a much more cordial tone of voice.

Ranma-chan leaned up against the wall and folded her arms under her breasts only to look down suddenly at them. "Do you mind if I change back first? Shakeera's been helping me adjust, but I'm still a guy." She said and started heading towards the kitchen before getting a reply. Herb just stood to the side and gestured with one arm for the red headed girl to progress in front of him.

"I do understand as I share a similar curse. Though I am glad that my other form is closer in height to my birth form. I would imagine that sometimes your fights may be a bit troublesome with the change of fighting forms that you must be forced to endure."

Ranma-chan stood there for a moment trying to figure out the full statement instead of just listening to the first part. It was another lesson that Shakeera had been working hard at pounding into the itinerant martial artist as it was hampering her ability to progress in any of her mental arts that she was learning.

The two continue talking for a bit after Ranma-chan changed back to his birth gender. After awhile they moved on from the initial discussion of why not Akane if the effect was to join the schools and moved on to some of their abilities and some of the changes that Ranma had encountered since gaining his curse and traveling companion. For the joining of the schools Herb found out that the main way that it may be progressed is through a mutual child of Ranma and one of the Tendo daughters as that child would be able to be trained in both disciplines and as such could be considered the joining of the schools. Though Herb did suggest another path and that was that via marriage Ranma would be able to not just legally but would be expected to teach in the Tendo Dojo thereby joining the schools.

One of the other topics that the two of them covered was Ranma's heightened sight, strength, and hearing. At first Herb thought that everyone had these abilities and just chose to ignore them. But after talking with Ranma briefly on the subject realized that the enhanced perceptions may be in part due to humanity but would more likely be a gift of the dragon blood that they both seemed to share now. It was an interesting revelation to the Prince of the Musk as he had been holding most people in contempt for their purposeful ignorance of the world around them. Now he was starting to look at it in a different way, perhaps it wasn't purposeful ignorance of the sheep of humanity, but rather that they were handicapped when compared to one of the Musk or another descendent of the Dragons.

Though Herb had come to this realization Ranma recognized in his fellow youth that the other boy may or may not come to be a better person. Personally Ranma doubted it as the other cursed youth had a tendency towards the arrogant lines of thought and also would often look down upon others. Now that Herb had verification that he really was superior, and not just in the traditional sense it would be difficult to tell if he would become worse or better in the long run.

But after a while of talking Ranma was becoming bored with the self introspection and questioning lines of communication and so begged off to go and practice some martial arts. As Herb was still being mostly introspective he instead went to the koi pond to continue some contemplation on his existence which inevitably led to the lack of existence of his former nation.

**Scene Break**

Xian pu was walking with her great grandmother Kon Lon after their run in with the infuriated warrior earlier. The fight had been interesting for the younger amazon to say the least. Though the dusty youth was strong, and well versed in a different but effective martial art he had easily been distracted and eventually wandered off from their battle.

"Great Grandmother?" The lavender haired youth asked of her wizened elder who was pogosticking next to her on her staff that was easily as gnarled as she was.

"Yes Xian?" She said to her youngest heir. "What may I answer for you. And remember to use the language of the land. You need the practice if we are to help your friends."

"Yes Grandma. Shampoo wishes to know, why boy run?" She said slowly trying to pick her words carefully. Though Ranma had been helping her with her Japanese when the youth was spending time in their village he hadn't had enough time to school the Amazon warrior enough to be more than barely passable with the language.

"I do not understand that myself young one. Though I have my suspicions. If he is indeed a foe of Ranma we will see him again." Kon Lon said as she continued to Pogo along. "Now Child, what is the name of the prefecture on that sign." She asks of her younger ward while pointing to a posted sign off of the road that they were traveling down.

Xian Pu puts her index finger to her mouth for a moment and says "Parade float…? That can no be right."

In response Kon Lon jumped off her staff and used it to bonk her great granddaughter on the head. "No, You read it very wrong. It is Nerima, not nerimono. Please think those through better next time." While internally thinking to herself _"at least she didn't say boiled fish paste." _(3).

**Scene Break**

About an hour or so later after Ranma and Herb had talked Herb-chan had wondered into the room that Shakeera was using. They had talked on light stuff for a few moments when suddenly the four armed woman shouted out. "NASAI LO VERAKA!!!" She jumps up from her terminal she was working with and stretches her muscles out after that as Herb-chan is rubbing one of her ears as if it was ringing.

The pink and purple haired girl looks at Shakeera for a few while thinking on what she said then says "Exists? What do you mean?"

"Oh, you can understand that?" Shakeera says to Herb-chan as she shuts down her terminal. "I didn't know anyone on this planet would understand that language."

"Nul ferako lon por…. uh … poronokutrafai dreugoneece." Herb-chan says haltingly.

"Your words are misarranged, and that is one hell of an accent, but yes you do seem to know a little Dragonese. Where did you learn it from?" Shakeera says as she turns to face Herb-chan directly.

Herb-chan sits and thinks for a second before answering. "It has been passed down the lineage of Dragons in my Kingdome for many generations. But much has been lost over the years. Can you read it as well as speak?" The girl prince says to her with the start of a gleam in her eyes. At Shakeera's nod Herb-chan tells her to wait there for a moment and runs out of the room. Just as Shakeera is getting ready to get up and look for Herb-chan in curiosity the other girl returns with a large hardened scroll case. After pulling it out and spreading the old parchment on Shakeera's bed the four armed warrior was able to see a very well done portrait of his guy form with Dragonese symbols around the edge of the picture.

Shakeera looks at it for just a moment before saying. "It is a Spell of storage, woven into a piece of artwork. There is a small pocket dimension attached to the picture, would you like me to remove it's contents?" She says. When Herb-chan nods her head Shakeera reaches towards the painting then moves her hand in a peculiar fashion and it seems to slide in-between the picture and … something. A moment later she pulls her hand back and it is holding a large leather-bound book clasped with a iron pad. Shakeera hands the book over to the neo princess and says. "I don't know who cast that spell, but it must've been a master, those D-pockets rarely last more than five years."

Herb-chan is looking at it in awe for a few moments before a tear comes to her eye. Shakeera sees this and asks "What is wrong?"

"Huh?" Herb-chan says then realizes about the moisture in her eye. "This is from one of my retainers, who just weeks ago was with me, and then when I traveled back to my Kingdome he was missing along with all my future subjects and my father. He may have been a louse, but he was still a companion to be missed." She then turns to leave. "You have gifted me with something special, I will have to return the favor in the future." With that the pink and purple haired girl turned and left the room.

"Funny, according to what I had heard she was supposed to be cocky and distant. Not understanding." Shakeera said to herself and then turned back to her terminal to get looking at whatever she had seen before being distracted by the picture which she now noticed was still on the bed. "Dang, I do know she isn't that forgetful." So saying she closed the Dimensional Pocket back up so that it couldn't be accessed by anyone but her and Herb then rolled the portrait back up and placed it into its case. "I'll return it to her later."

**Scene Break**

In another part of the house shortly after Shakeera had pulled the book out of the portrait Herb-chan was going over it. She chuckled at the first person narration, and also at Mint's poor handwriting and grammar, then smiled slightly as it improved over time. Though she continued to get even more puzzled at what was being depicted by the tome.

For some reason, after she had dismissed hem to go home to the lands of the Musk they found the Kingdome under attack by a creature that seemed to be made of obsidian and metal with some form of golden energy that flowed in between the odd plates that made up it's body. For some reason it was looking for someone of Dragon Decent but had found the King of the Musk to be unacceptable that it was looking for someone else. They had joined in the battle and had then been promptly defeated. After that the being had been revolted by those it had seen and flung some form of energy at the castle. Once the energy had struck the front gate it had shot up to the sky connecting the heavenly location and the ground in a great bolt of blue lightning that didn't leave that very instant but instead grew and moved writhing in a fashion unlike any bolt of lightning that the Musk had ever seen. It in turn branched out from on high to strike the ground surrounding the fields and castle before finally fading out of existence.

Once the energy died off there was no trace of the being that had flung it, and the hillsides nearby looked similar, but vaguely different. Though no one could say how so. It wasn't till later in the week that they discovered what the difference was. Somehow they had been transported back to after their last major war with the other tribes near the springs of sorrow, but unlike in their own history, they could not find traces of the near crippled Musk Dynasty, only the shattered forces of the Jokentetsu and the Phoenix tribe. Deciding to find out more of what had happened and to lick their wounds they got to rebuilding their kingdome only to find that there was no heir for when the King would pass away. That may have been alright as they still had some of their women with them, but it was a few years later that they found that the King was to go without any further heirs as he seemed to be barren, and was not able to produce another heir. So they sent out to find the missing Herb, but were unable to.

Herb-chan closed the book after reading for several hours and stands up. "So that is what happened." She said. "Because I was not there, they were hurled into time without me."

Then she read out the final entry in the journal. "Not till two hundred years hence when your missing prince is returned a King will your dynasty be returned to the once and future dragon ruler. To prevent what will happen two hundred years in your past the Dragon King must defeat a being two hundred years in your future. I shall see him in the present of your future to discuss his past but only once he has bridged his being with another."

**Scene Break**

The being with the charcoal skin and the golden and black segmented armor suddenly stops in the middle of his path. "Finally a trace" he says as his red lensed monocle chimes at him. He chuckles evily then starts on a direct path ignoring everything in his path as he walks.

Luckily for him he is very strong and resistant to many forms of damage, otherwise the walls, racks of merchandise, and even the occasional vehicle he was walking through would have been more than just the annoying buzz of gnats to him. However he was that lucky, but the residents of the shopping district that he was making a new tunnel of destruction in were not. As such they were rather quizzically terrorized by the being walking literally through their midst.

**End Chapter**

Author's Notes:

(1)This is courtesy of one of my many tranlator tools, however as it is a program please forgive the meaning as I was trying to say in phonetic Chinese "Halt Shampoo, he doesn't know where our comrade is" However I may have said "halt hair fertilizer comrade knows we have don't know where yellow cookies are" or some such like that. If you wish to have a literal word tanslation though I got this particular goody from www chinese-tools com (insert proper dots at various places) I also have one funky widget for my desktop but that translates into actual Han and Kanji for Chinese and Japanese. Since I'm writing for English speaking/reading audiences I felt that Han symbols would be a bit much, but here it is in proper Han symbology "制止縣Pu, 他不知道何處我們的同志是。"

(2)Japanese Water Goblin, a mischievous critter that may live on both land and in water. They can be very nasty though as they often require sacrifice to continue to be appeased.

(3)Nerima doesn't really translate into English, but many very close words do very easily. Nerimono is of course one whish is "Boiled Fish-Paste" "Parade Float" and "Procession". Another funny one is Nerimadaiko which has two that I was able to look up "Variety of Daikon" and "Woman's fat legs". There is also Nerigami, neriageru, neriawaseru, and many close others as Neri is a common symbol and word. Also the placement and symbols for Nerimono and Nerima in Kanji are similar and as someone who is valiantly attempting to learn some of the language I could see how it could be misinterpreted especially if I forgot the symbol for "ku" which is the symbol for prefecture or city.

Ok, this was a long time in coming. Again, I can only apologize for it taking so long, but I won't as most of you understand Life Happens. If you want details PM or email me (Please do not leave it in reviews).

Also my next posts of anything will be awhile as life is still happening. But I am not dead, nor are my works (Yes, even WXJ will be updated and continued). They'll just be long in coming.

Until next time.

TTFN,

Enlu


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